How the memory works
Human memory is one of the mechanisms that shapes how people interact with the world. By understanding how memory works, designers can create more human-centered interfaces that align with users’ natural abilities, reducing effort and enhancing usability.
Human memory is one of the mechanisms that shapes how people interact with the world. By understanding how memory works, designers can create more human-centered interfaces that align with users’ natural abilities, reducing effort and enhancing usability.
The Basics
Memory is the brain’s natural way of storing data. It responds to external stimuli, collects data, processes it, and organizes it in various ways. It allows access to collected information when needed but is not a perfect mechanism, as it is influenced by physical and emotional factors.
Memory is generally categorized into three types:
Sensory Memory
Briefly stores data when perceived through our physical senses, such as hearing, vision, or touch.
Short-Term Memory
Allows individuals to retain information for a short period without repetition.
Long-Term Memory
Stores large amounts of information for extended periods, sometimes a lifetime. Effective methods for retaining long-term information include repetition and associations.
UX Design
Designers can consider these memory aspects when creating application flows. Long-term memory can be leveraged to retain core application data, enabling better repeated use of the interface. This approach helps in developing better strategies, organizing data effectively, and strengthening the application’s information architecture.
Memory Laws
Concentration
To retain information, concentration is necessary. Without it, information is likely to remain in short-term memory and be forgotten.
Association
Memory forms a network by connecting different types of information. Creating associations makes it easier to remember and store information in long-term memory.
Repetition
A proven method for transferring information from working memory to long-term memory.
Other UX laws, such as Miller’s Law and Hick’s Law, can also be applied:
Miller’s Law
The number of items a person can hold in working memory is approximately 7.
Interfaces with too many options can overwhelm users, leading to frustration, even if they cannot articulate the cause of their discomfort.
Learn more about Miller’s Law.
Hick’s Law
The more options available, the harder the decision-making process becomes.
Excessive options can confuse users, complicating associations and potentially overloading their working memory, which ties into Miller’s Law.
Learn more about Hick’s Law.
Tips
- Avoid forcing users to memorize too much information simultaneously.
- Don’t overload users with too many choices.
- Reduce memory effort by using recognizable patterns and symbols.
- Maintain consistent navigation.
- Don’t hide primary navigation elements.
- Stimulate different types of memory (visual, auditory, verbal, mechanical, etc.).
- Be mindful of users’ emotional states.
Further reading: