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How can Miller’s law make UX better?

Blog post from LogRocket

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Chinwe Uzegbu
Word Count
2,116
Language
-
Hacker News Points
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Summary

Miller's law, introduced by cognitive psychologist George A. Miller in 1956, posits that humans can hold about 7±2 items in their working memory, a principle that is crucial for user experience (UX) design. This psychological insight helps designers mitigate cognitive overload by employing techniques such as chunking, which involves grouping information into manageable units, and progressive disclosure, where only essential information is presented initially, with more details revealed as needed. Real-life applications of Miller's law in UX include platforms like Netflix and Dropbox, which organize content into digestible chunks to facilitate user interaction. In contrast, Amazon prioritizes functionality over minimizing cognitive load, offering a wealth of information that can overwhelm users. As digital experiences grow more complex, understanding and applying Miller's law is vital for creating interfaces that maintain user engagement by respecting cognitive limits.