Do you know the human brain can process 11 million bits of information every second? And out of 11 million bits, our brain loves to process visual data 60,000 times faster than boring text. Adding to that, the 34 gigabytes, or 100,000 words we process each day, and 300,000,000,000,000,000,000 pieces of human-made information as we scroll down through emails, social networking sites, text messages, landing pages, newspapers, and books every day topped with dozen senses, reflexes, memories, and learning mechanisms.
Now just imagine how much data our brain processes daily and all the information needs storing.
Unlike computers that are programmed to process unprecedented volumes of data, human minds are an incredible tool with a limited capacity to handle tons and tons of information. Our brains are designed to remember with inherent limitations such as attention span, working memory, and cognitive processing capacity. And every time we overload minds with multiple experiences, billions of active neurons come together in sync to form neural pathways and thousands of connections, resulting in long-lasting traces making that one experience memorable.
Even medical experts and psychologists claim that the human mind can store more than one quadrillion bytes of data – a petabyte (1024 terabytes) besides accepting signals and signs throughout the body. And it is believed that the human mind has specific response limitations to each trigger, including emotions, memory, intelligence, knowledge, and senses. However, leaving too many tabs open in our heads to process all the information might put too much unnecessary cognitive load and burnout on our brains.
Here are some supporting insights and opinions that were shared by the experts on cognitive load:
“A general “law of least effort” applies to cognitive as well as physical exertion. The law asserts that if there are several ways of achieving the same goal, people will eventually gravitate to the least demanding course of action.” ― Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow
"The time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices" - Hick's law
“Examine the areas of the evaluated product where tapping slowed down or stopped. Slow or unrhythmical tapping means the participant was experiencing extra load. Areas where tapping stopped have pushed the participant into cognitive overload.” — Tracy & Albers (2006)
Cognitive load and burnout: Decoding the mechanics
Cognitive load can be described as the amount of effort and energy the human mind puts into processing information or performing tasks mentally. According to psychologists, every mental process ranging from memory to perception, language, reasoning, and thinking, happens to a cognitive load on the working memory while we engage in numerous cognitive activities, including learning, problem-solving, decision-making, or interacting with interfaces. Because there’s limited space, overloading the human minds with too much information results in cognitive load and oftentimes, burnouts.
Educational psychologist John Sweller in 1988, explained the concept of cognitive load based on the work of Baddeley and Hitch (1974). As per Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) coined by John Sweller,
“our working memory is only able to hold a small amount of information at any one time and that instructional methods should avoid overloading it in order to maximise learning.”
In a popular John Sweller's Cognitive Load theory, John Sweller has clearly explained that a suboptimal user experience (UX) due to complicated and confusing interfaces, is a key disruptor to our human cognitive architecture as it demands high cognitive processing capacity. The trouble is, our brains are not evolved enough to process such complex information and might take cognitive shortcuts. In the process of overcoming killing UX, our minds often navigate through a sense of cognitive load, followed by mental fatigue and burnout.
According to Cognitive Load Theory, three main types of cognitive loads hinder the brain's knowledge retention capability:
- Intrinsic load refers to the subject's inherent complexity wherein users have to invest more cognitive resources due to the complexity of the subject matter. For example, we must apply a strategic approach to solve a complex mathematical equation. Here the intrinsic load exerted on a user absolutely depends on his/her ability to understand the new information.
- Extraneous load pertains to the additional cognitive load imposed by the user absorbing the information or design presented. This load is directly related to distractions from intended learning due to poorly designed elements, confusing interfaces, or irrelevant information. The high extraneous load takes place when a user exerts more mental effort to process poorly designed information with split attention and redundancy.
- Germane load relates to how well a user is able to process a new set of information into long-term memory using cognitive memory and intelligence. When a user engages in multiple activities dedicated to meaningful learning, problem-solving, automation, and mental schema construction in long-term memory, germane cognitive load manifests.
In a high-stress learning environment, even the sharpest minds can get overwhelmed by the combination of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads. When the cognitive load exceeds a user's cognitive capacity, it can lead to decreased performance, mental fatigue, engagement, user abandonment, and burnout, further hindering users' ability to interact effectively with digital interfaces.
How do cognitive load and burnout disrupt UX?
In UX design, the most pressing reasons for cognitive overload and burnout are:
- Information overload by bombarding too much information without effective hierarchy, which not only overwhelms users but impairs their ability to process and retain key details.
- Complex navigation as a result of non-intuitive or convoluted structures result in confusion, and hinder users engagement, leading to increased cognitive load.
- Poor content formatting due to dense blocks of text, lack of headings, and limited visual cues make it UX journey of users quite difficult. As a result, users are not able to scan and comprehend information efficiently.
- Unnecessary complexity, including unnecessary features, unnecessary interactions, and poorly designed UX elements, burdens users with excessive cognitive load.
- Inconsistencies in terminology and labeling not only create confusion for users, but out excessive force to spend extra mental effort to interpret the interface
To mitigate the risk of cognitive load and burnout, UX designers should strive to create interfaces that minimize unnecessary cognitive demands. By simplifying and streamlining interactions, designers can reduce extraneous load and enhance usability. Clear instructions, intuitive navigation, and visual cues can guide users and make the interaction process more efficient, alleviating the cognitive load.
Quick tips and design strategies to reduce cognitive overload and burnout faster
Designers play a critical role in mitigating cognitive overload and burnout by employing effective strategies that enhance the user experience. Here are some quick tips and design strategies to reduce unnecessary cognitive load and foster a smoother user experience:
- Simplify and streamline interfaces: Eliminate unnecessary complexity, reduce visual clutter, and provide clear and intuitive navigation to ensure users can find information and perform tasks efficiently.
- Prioritize information: Identify and prioritize essential information, making it easily accessible and visible to users. Use visual cues such as color, size, and typography to highlight critical elements and guide attention effectively.
- Chunk information: Break down complex information into smaller, manageable chunks that align with users' working memory capacity. This allows users to process information more easily and reduces cognitive load.
- Use progressive disclosure: Present information progressively, revealing additional details only when needed. This approach prevents overwhelming users with an excessive amount of information at once.
- Provide feedback and guidance: Offer clear feedback to users' actions, ensuring they understand the consequences of their interactions. Additionally, provide contextual guidance and assistance to help users navigate the interface effectively.
- Provide feedback and guidance: Maintain consistency in the interface design, adhering to established conventions and patterns. Familiarity reduces cognitive load as users can rely on their existing mental models.
- Minimize cognitive switching: Avoid frequent context switching or multitasking requirements, as they increase cognitive load. Streamline workflows and minimize distractions to maintain users' focus.
Reducing unnecessary cognitive load and burnout is paramount to achieving a seamless and engaging user experience. At Kellton, we help forward-thinking companies like yours to create interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly, keeping a rain check on the limitations of the human mind's processing power capacity. We not only simplify and streamline interfaces, but our experts help prioritize information and minimize cognitive switching, which plays a vital role in minimizing users' cognitive overload and enhancing their overall experience.
