Total amount of mental effort that is required to complete a task.

<aside> ℹ️ Cognitive load is the total amount of mental effort that is required to complete a task. You can think of it as the processing power needed by the user to interact with a product. If the information that needs to be processed exceeds the user’s ability to handle it, the cognitive load is too high.

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Cognitive load is the total mental effort it takes to process information related to reasoning and decision-making; the same parts of the brain you use to browse a website or use an app. This information is stored in your working memory, which is part of your short-term memory.

Your working memory has a small capacity for holding the information your brain needs to process what’s going on. Because there’s limited space, it doesn’t take much to overwork it. In short, any time your user has to stop and think while using your website or app, it taxes their working memory and cognitive load.

The idea of cognitive load was first explained by educational psychologist John Sweller in his publication “Cognitive Load Theory, Learning Difficulty, and Instructional Design.”

Psychologist World describes cognitive load theory as:

A theory which aims to understand how the cognitive load produced by learning tasks can impede students’ ability to process new information and to create long-term memories.

Famed user experience professional and writer Steve Krug applied cognitive load theory to web design in his influential book Don’t Make Me Think. Turns out, the strategies used to enrich the learning experience are the same strategies that result in a better user experience.

Understanding cognitive load and how to handle it is crucial for making your designs more user-friendly. If a website is confusing or frustrating to use, people won't stick around. All websites involve some thinking, but the less users have to strain their brains, the better.

Things that make it harder for users to move around your site add to their cognitive load. Unclear designs, complex actions, and too many choices overwhelm them. Fortunately, there are simple ways to ease this load:

• Avoid overwhelming users: Like how it's hard to concentrate in a noisy room, a cluttered screen overwhelms users. Simplify your design to show only what's essential for the task.
• Cut unnecessary steps: More steps mean more effort. Minimize what users need to remember, but don't sacrifice clarity.
• Use familiar visuals: Use common symbols and icons that users recognize easily, reducing the need to learn new things.
• Organize info logically: Layout and navigation matter. Arrange information so it's easy to find and understand, helping users achieve their goals without extra mental effort.