The Invisible Hand of UX is a glossary built for everyday people. UX Design is a field that impacts every single person that interacts with software, yet is often jam-packed with jargon that is difficult to parse for industry newcomers.
Users are smart. They know what they like and dislike in a user interface. But, sometimes they struggle to articulate why. This isn't necessarily their fault. People who are not plugged in to the design industry don't always have the vocabulary to express their needs.
The goal of this glossary is to provide clear and concise interactive demos and explanations for each of these patterns so readers can cognitively associate the given term to their real-world analogues. Industry mammoths like Google and Apple incorporate the patterns described on this site at length.
When users are aware of the patterns that exist in the products they use, they are far less likely to be decieved, manipulated, or coerced into making decisions that don't align with their best interests. Transparency around these terms will help more people make informed decisions within the bounds of the products they use every day.