Cognition
How we think
Design + The Brain · LEARN
Cognition is the work of understanding: reading, comparing, deciding, problem-solving. Every design imposes a cognitive load, and Sweller's cognitive load theory distinguishes the load inherent to the task from the extraneous load a confusing design adds on top. Good design minimizes the second so the first has room.
Mental models are cognition's shortcuts: people approach every new interface armed with expectations built from every interface before it. Conventions — the logo top-left, the cart top-right, blue underlined links — exist because violating them spends the user's thinking budget on navigation instead of content.
Designing for cognition means writing clearly, structuring information progressively, giving feedback for every action, and never making people solve puzzles you accidentally created.
The sources
Sweller — Cognitive load theory
Visit site ↗The framework distinguishing intrinsic, extraneous, and germane load — the basis for simplifying interfaces and instructional design.
Cognitive load in UX — Nielsen Norman Group
Visit site ↗Practical guidance on reducing the thinking a design demands, from chunking to progressive disclosure.
Mental models — Nielsen Norman Group
Visit site ↗Why users bring expectations from past experience, and why designing with conventions usually beats inventing new ones.