Cognitive load is the total amount of mental effort a person has to invest to use a product, understand information, or complete a task. In UX, keeping it low means people can focus on their goals instead of struggling to work out how the interface behaves.

Why does cognitive load matter?

There are three kinds of cognitive load: intrinsic (the inherent difficulty of the task), extraneous (extra effort caused by confusing design), and germane (effort that actually helps people learn). Good design lowers the extraneous load through clear hierarchy, familiar patterns, progressive disclosure, and by letting the interface remember things so users don't have to.

Similar