Cognitive Load: Don't Make Users Think (Too Hard)
Think of a user's brain like a computer with limited RAM; cognitive load is the processing power your UI demands. High load from cluttered interfaces slows users down, causing them to miss details or abandon tasks.
Think of a user's brain like a computer with limited RAM; cognitive load is the processing power your UI demands. High load from cluttered interfaces or confusing navigation slows users, causing them to abandon tasks. Designers should minimize *extraneous* load (e.g., visual clutter) while accepting *intrinsic* load—the necessary effort to learn new information. The footgun is adding visual flourishes or redundant links that create noise instead of meaning, directly harming usability.
Read the original → nngroup.com
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- #psychology
- #usability
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