Okay, let’s be real: most UIs out there? Overdesigned. Bloated. Frustrating. I’ve been down that rabbit hole more times than I can count—just trying to get something done, and instead I’m fighting with the interface. Not cool.
So, here’s a thought—what if your users didn’t have to think so hard? Cognitive load. That’s the thing we gotta keep in mind. It’s this invisible brain-tax that creeps in every time a user has to remember where a button was, or squint at too many options.
There’s different kinds of load, actually. I once read something about intrinsic load (which is like, the built-in complexity), then there’s extraneous load, that’s the garbage we accidentally pile on top. Lastly: germane load. That one’s good—it helps people learn the thing.
Anyways, the main goal is to kill off that extraneous junk. You trim it, snip it, vaporize it—whatever. Clean UI is peaceful UI.
I’ll give you an example. Ever tried booking a hotel on one of those third-party sites? My God. Tiny fonts, buttons everywhere, pop-ups, timers, urgency messages—seriously, I just wanted a bed.
That experience alone is a case study in mental clutter. You don’t want your users to experience that, trust me. So how do we keep the mess out?
First: Cut Choices Down to the Bone
You ever heard of Hick’s Law? Basically, it says: the more stuff you throw at people, the slower they decide. And you’d think, “Hey, giving people options is good, right?” Not really. Sometimes, too many is a trap.
So what you could do: hide the extras unless they’re needed. Break down choices into small steps. Group ’em by context. That way, you’re not making anyone think about stuff they don’t need yet.
Less is kinder, man.
Hierarchy Matters, Big Time
Not gonna lie—I used to slap stuff anywhere on a screen and call it done. It looked like a digital junk drawer. But visual hierarchy? Total game-changer.
Users scan, not read. So bold titles, big buttons, use spacing like it’s precious gold. Keep it clear what’s most important, what’s next, and what’s optional.
One time I shrunk the “Buy” button by mistake. Sales dropped by like 30%. It hurt. Learnt my lesson.
Familiar Stuff Works Best
We love new things, yeah. But too new, too weird? Nah. People bounce.
Why break brains with abstract icons or reinventing the hamburger menu? You’d be surprised how much comfort comes from the familiar. Recognizable patterns build confidence—people just know what to do. No guessing.
Stick with what works. Unless you’re building for aliens. Then ignore this.
Memory Is Overrated, Help People Forget
Okay, not forget forget. But don’t make folks remember stuff from earlier screens.
Recognition > recall, every single time. Let the UI remind people of what they did. Autofill fields. Leave breadcrumbs. Echo their actions back to them. Just… don’t make them hold too much in their brain.
Mental RAM is limited, and it fills up fast.
Be Consistent, or Else
There’s this design I saw once where the “Save” button changed colors on every page. I thought I was losing my mind. Turns out, it was the same button—just styled differently. Confusing as heck.
Consistency is like gravity—it grounds your design. Repeat styles, terms, layouts. Otherwise, users gotta re-learn things every screen, and they won’t like that.
And I wouldn’t blame ’em.
Keep the Words Human
Tech speak? No, thanks. Overly clever labels? Meh. Just say what you mean.
I try to imagine I’m writing for a cousin who’s smart but hates computers. If she wouldn’t get it in 3 seconds, I rewrite it.
Also, don’t write like you’re solving riddles. You’re not Tolkien, you’re building tools. Clean, direct, kind language wins every time.
Feedback Makes Users Feel Heard
Imagine pressing a button and nothing happens. Ugh. That’s the worst.
Even a quick shimmer, a loading spinner, or a lil’ tick sound—it says “Hey, I heard ya.” Feedback is love. Without it, users feel lost. It’s honestly just good manners.
Even bad news (“Oops, something broke!”) is better than silence. Talk to your users, even if it’s through UI.
White Space Isn’t Lazy, It’s Lush
You know what’s sexy? Space. Negative space. Blank areas that let your content breathe.
Used to be scared of whitespace, thought it looked “unfinished.” Nah—it’s actually what makes the good stuff shine.
Whitespace is the pause between the notes. It’s what gives rhythm to design. Let things breathe, and the brain says “thank you.”
Test It. Then Break It. Then Fix It.
You can’t design in a vacuum. Put it in front of humans. Watch them fumble, succeed, hesitate, click the wrong thing. It’s all data. Gold, really.
One time I built an onboarding flow I was so proud of. Guess what? Five people in a row got stuck halfway. Humbling. But necessary.
Recording tools, click maps, analytics—use ’em. Track the friction. Then smooth it out.
Wrap-Up? Yeah, Here’s That.
At the end of the digital day, designing for cognitive load is about removing junk. It’s subtraction, not addition. Not adding sparkle, but removing struggle.
I want my users to float through the experience—not paddle.
If you can make your app feel invisible, you’re doing it right. The best interface is the one they don’t notice.
So next time you open up that Figma file, breathe. Think like a tired person who just wants to get to the point.
Then build for them.
Also, you can learn more about User Engagement here.