Miller’s Law Simplified: A Beginner’s Guide

As humans, we have a limited capacity to process and remember information. This capacity is known as our short-term memory, which can hold about 7 items on average.

Knowing this, it’s important to design user interfaces that make it easier for users to process and remember information.

Here are two ways to achieve this:

Organize Content

Organize content into smaller chunks When information is presented in large blocks of text or long lists, it can overwhelm the user’s short-term memory.

To make it easier to process and remember information, it’s important to organize content into smaller chunks.

This can be done by breaking up long paragraphs into shorter ones, using headings and subheadings, and separating content into sections.

For example, instead of presenting a long list of features on a product page, you can group related features together and present them in smaller sections.

This way, users can easily scan and process the information, making it easier to remember.

Reduce Cognitive Load

Reduce cognitive load Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to process information.

When users are presented with too much information or too many options, it can increase their cognitive load and make it harder for them to find what they’re looking for.

To reduce cognitive load, it’s important to simplify the user interface and remove any unnecessary elements.

For example, instead of presenting users with a long list of navigation options, you can use a dropdown menu or a hamburger menu to simplify the interface.

This reduces the cognitive load and makes it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.

In conclusion

By organizing content into smaller chunks and reducing cognitive load, designers can create user interfaces that are easier to process and remember.

By doing so, users are more likely to find what they’re looking for and have a positive experience using the interface.

Remember, the magical number seven is not just a fun fact, but an important principle to keep in mind when designing user interfaces.