German – English Terms
From A to Z. English technical term small above the German one.
All technical terms from both parts of the course, Everyday Working Life and Staying Healthy, from A to Z. On each card, the English technical term is shown in small print at the top, with the German term and its explanation below.
0–9
20-20-20 RULE
20-20-20 rule
Look into the distance about six metres away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes to relieve eye strain.
A
AGENCY
Agency
A company that provides communication and design services for multiple clients.
Swiss Old-Age Insurance
OASI
Compulsory social insurance in Switzerland; self-employed individuals settle contributions directly with a compensation fund.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Acquisition
Acquiring new orders and clients.
Swiss Labour Act
Employment Law
Swiss law for the protection of employees, including regulations on working hours and rest periods.
ART DIRECTION
Art Direction
Responsibility for the creative quality and direction of a project.
B
LETTER
Briefing
Description of the order by the client.
BURNOUT
Burnout
A state of exhaustion resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.
E
OBJECTION
Objection
Customer's concern that indicates an open question.
ERGONOMICS
Ergonomics
Designing workplaces that reduce strain on the body.
EXCLUSIVITY
Exclusivity
Agreement that a work is only available to one client.
F
FLOW
Flow
A state of deep concentration while engaged in a challenging, yet achievable task.
FREELANCE
Freelance
Freelance work for a range of clients.
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
Early warning system
Personal list of warning signs and measures to identify overload at an early stage.
G
GENERATIVE AI
Generative AI
Tools that generate images, texts or variations based on training data.
SPEC WORK
Unpaid work
Unpaid pitches or speculative design competitions.
GREENWASHING
Greenwashing
Unsubstantiated or exaggerated environmental claims.
H
IMPOSTOR PHENOMENON
impostor syndrome
The feeling of not being good enough despite success and being exposed as a fraud.
I
IN-HOUSE
In-house
In-house design for the company's own brand.
INCUBATION
Incubation
Phase in the creative process where ideas mature in the background.
Job demands-resources model
Bakker and Demerouti's model: Job demands are manageable when there are sufficient resources.
K
COLLECTIVE
Collective
A collective of freelancers sharing space, projects, and knowledge.
REVISION ROUND
round of revisions
Round in which the client requests changes to a draft.
L
LICENCE
Licence
Permission to use a protected work.
M
VALUE ADDED TAX
VAT
Tax on services; in Switzerland, a standard rate of 8.1% applies to taxable businesses.
HYBRID CAREER
Hybrid form
Combination of employment and own projects or multiple income streams.
N
NETWORK
Network
Relationships with industry peers that foster knowledge-sharing and recommendations.
Usage rights
Right of use
Contractually granted permission to use a work in a specific manner.
O
QUOTA
Quotation
Written quotation including services, price and terms.
P
OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME
Pension fund
Occupational pension scheme, usually arranged via the employer for employees.
PITCH
Pitch
Presentation, often in competition with others, to win a contract.
PORTFOLIO
Portfolio
A selection of own work that shows how someone thinks and designs.
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Profile
What sets you apart as a designer: strengths, themes, way of working.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Management
Planning and coordination of schedules, budget, and team.
R
REBRIEF
Re-briefing
Summary of the order in your own words, with questions regarding open points.
RESOURCE
Resource
What helps to manage demands, such as support, recovery, or autonomy.
FINANCIAL RESERVES
Reserves
Savings to bridge fluctuations in income.
S
SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR
Sedentary work
Sedentary work with little movement.
SPECIALISATION
Specialisation
Focus on a single topic, medium, or industry.
HOURLY RATE
Hourly rate
Price per working hour, derived from income, costs and billable hours.
U
OVERTIME
Overtime
Work carried out beyond the contracted hours.
OVERTIME
Overtime
Working beyond the maximum statutory working hours.
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
Protection of intellectual creations with individual character; arises upon creation.
V
BILLABLE HOURS
Billable hours
Working hours that can be billed to a client.
W
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Work-life balance
Balance between work, rest, and personal life.
Z
ADDITIONAL WORK
additional effort
Services exceeding the quotation that are agreed separately.