4 Proven Ways To Reduce Cognitive Load In UX Design

Don’t Make Your Users Work Hard

Have you ever come across a website or a mobile app that has too much information thrown at you? The layout feels complex, with too many buttons and confusing navigation — This is a sign of high cognitive load.

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to scan and process the information. High cognitive load leads to a bad UX and is ultimately a sign of a poorly designed product.

Here are 4 proven ways to reduce cognitive load —

1. Minimize Choices (Hick’s Law)

As UX Designers we want to optimize our product for users, but sometimes we end up giving too much control to the user in the form of excessive choices/options.

The more options users have, the longer it takes for them to decide — this is known as Hick’s Law. Giving too many options creates mental fatigue, increasing cognitive load and making users abandon their tasks.

How to Fix —

• Group similar options together
• Use Abstraction — Only show advanced options when necessary
• Provide default options to reduce the decision-making effort