The Weight Of Design Decisions
- hannahoheine
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
Avoiding Mental Overload For You And Your Users
Making design decisions without considering cognitive load is like hitting the buffet line with zero restraint. A little of this, a little of that, and suddenly the plate (or the page) is a sloppy mountain that makes no sense together. When everything screams for attention, nothing actually gets it.
When users open a website, app, or even a printed menu and get hit with too many fonts, colors, buttons, or calls-to-action, their brains do the same thing your stomach did at the buffet—they get overwhelmed. This is cognitive load, the psychological term for the strain on our working memory when we try to process too much at once.
And here’s the kicker: a user who feels overwhelmed doesn’t just bounce, they might never come back.
Why Designers Should Care About Cognitive Load
Your job isn’t just to make things look good (though yes, you’re fabulous at that). Your job is to make things work. And when users are overwhelmed, confused, or frustrated, the design has failed…even if it’s drop-dead gorgeous.
Think of cognitive load as invisible clutter. The kind that doesn’t show up in your Figma file but trips people up all the same. Every unnecessary flourish, every redundant step, every too-clever interaction is one more thing between the user and the thing they came for.
Tips For Designing With The Brain In Mind
Cut the noise. Simplify navigation, minimize options, and don’t make people play “Where’s Waldo?” with your CTA.
Use hierarchy like a boss. Headlines, subheads, color, and spacing should guide the eye naturally, not fight for attention.
Chunk it up. Break complex information into bite-sized, scannable pieces. (Your users are skimmers. Embrace it.)
Design for real humans. Test with actual users, not just your designer BFF who already knows where the “Buy Now” button lives.
Remember: whitespace is power. Give those pixels room to breathe—it’s like yoga for your layout.
This Month’s Design Prompt
Take a piece of your past work (the busiest, most over-stuffed one you’ve got) and redesign it with cognitive load in mind. Pretend your user has five seconds of attention and one ounce of patience. What do you cut, simplify, or restructure to make it effortless?
Share it, tag it, cringe at the “before” if you must, but most importantly, learn how to do more with less.
At the end of the day, designing with cognitive load in mind isn’t about stripping away the fun...it’s about making your work (and your life) flow better. The easier you make things for your users, the easier you make things for yourself. Call it self-care for design: cut the clutter, keep the clarity, and let your creativity breathe.
Everything we share here is meant to be helpful and inspiring. We’re speaking from experience. Please consult a qualified professional to help make decisions. You are responsible for how you choose to use this information, and we are not liable for any loss, damages, or issues that may arise. We can’t be responsible for how things play out, but we’re always rooting for your success!
Credits
Author: Hannah Heine
Editor: Jenn Hart (More About Me)
Associate Editor: Sarah Dawoud
Art: Sharon Bakas
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