Search the Lexicon - Multimedia & Creative Technology

API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a collection of definitions and protocols that lets different software applications communicate. It acts as an intermediary that sends requests from one application to another and returns the response. APIs make it possible to use functionality from other services without knowing their internal workings.

Web & Mobile programming backend

AR (Augmented Reality)

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information—such as images, text, or 3D models—on the real world. Unlike VR, AR does not replace reality; it enhances it. AR is often experienced via smartphones, tablets, or dedicated AR glasses.

3D & XR design hardware

Async/Await

Async/await is modern JavaScript syntax for handling asynchronous operations in a more readable, synchronous-looking way. Functions marked with async automatically return Promises, and the await keyword pauses execution until a Promise resolves. This eliminates deeply nested callback functions (callback hell) and makes asynchronous code much easier to write, read, and debug.

Web & Mobile javascript

Autonomous agents

Autonomous agents are 3D entities in a virtual environment that perceive, decide, and act on their own without continuous direct human control or purely scripted sequences. They combine sensors (virtual perception of the world and other objects), an internal state or goals, and a decision-making mechanism (such as behavior trees, state machines, or learning algorithms) to determine their actions. In 3D contexts they are used for game NPCs, robotics and drone simulations, and crowd or emergent-behavior modeling. Key concerns include pathfinding, collision and local avoidance, reactive vs. planned behaviors, and sometimes adaptive learning for more complex tasks.

3D & XR

B-Roll

B-roll refers to supplementary footage that is intercut with the main footage, called A-roll, to add visual interest, context, and professional polish to video productions. While A-roll typically features the primary subject such as an interview or main action, B-roll provides cutaway shots like establishing shots of locations, detail shots of hands working, reaction shots, or relevant imagery that illustrates what the speaker is discussing. B-roll also conveniently covers edit points and jump cuts.

Audio/Video production

Bitrate

Bitrate is the amount of data processed or transferred per second, expressed in bits per second (bps). In audio and video, bitrate determines quality and file size. A higher bitrate means better quality but larger files. Bitrate can be constant (CBR) or variable (VBR).

Audio/Video software

Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas is a visual template composed of nine interrelated building blocks that let you map and analyze an organization’s business model in a single page. It helps teams surface assumptions about customers, value propositions, infrastructure, financials and partnerships. The canvas is used for ideation, strategic discussion, prioritizing experiments and quickly communicating how a business creates, delivers and captures value.

Business strategy

CMS

A CMS (Content Management System) is software that enables users to create, manage, and modify website content without needing technical knowledge of HTML, CSS, or programming. Popular platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Strapi provide user-friendly interfaces for content editing, media management, user permissions, and website customization through themes, plugins, or APIs.

Web & Mobile marketing

CORS

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) is a security mechanism that controls which web applications can make requests to domains different from their own. Browsers enforce the same-origin policy by default, blocking cross-origin requests to protect users. CORS headers from the server specify which origins, HTTP methods, and headers are permitted, enabling controlled cross-origin communication.

Web & Mobile frontend

CRUD

CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete, representing the four basic operations for persistent storage that nearly every data-driven application implements. In web development, CRUD operations map to HTTP methods (POST for Create, GET for Read, PUT/PATCH for Update, DELETE for Delete) and SQL statements (INSERT, SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE). Understanding CRUD is fundamental to building any application that stores data.

Web & Mobile database

CSS

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a stylesheet language used to describe the presentation of HTML documents. It controls how elements are displayed on a web page, including colors, fonts, spacing, positioning, and responsive behavior. CSS lets you separate content (HTML) from presentation.

Web & Mobile programming frontend

CSS Grid

CSS Grid is a two-dimensional layout system that allows you to create complex grid-based layouts with rows and columns simultaneously. Unlike Flexbox which works in one direction at a time, Grid lets you control both horizontal and vertical placement of elements, making it ideal for overall page layouts, image galleries, and complex component arrangements.

Web & Mobile css