Design Cognitive Load
Psychology & UX Laws · cognitive load
Updated 2026-07-28
- Every decision consumes mental energy.
- Reduce load through:
Recognition:
- Show options instead of making users remember.
Grouping:
- Organize related information.
Defaults:
- Remove unnecessary choices.
Consistency:
- Make patterns predictable.
- Users should spend energy on their goal, not your interface.
- Every decision requires mental effort.
- Reduce cognitive load by:
- Showing only what matters.
- Grouping related information.
- Using familiar patterns.
- Removing unnecessary choices.
- Avoid:
- Too many options.
- Unclear hierarchy.
- Repeated decisions.
- The best interface lets users think about the task, not the interface.
Related guides
UX Handbook