At a Glance Notes: [Chapter 4] Users Cognitive Capabilities
1. Cognition
Definition: How your mind interprets and processes information through a basic cycle of receiving, interpreting, planning, and executing actions. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Receive information
- Interpret information
- Plan an action
- Execute the action
- Four cognitive superpowers (Attention, Perception and Recognition, Memory, Mental Models)
2. Attention
Definition: Users’ most precious resource that involves how people focus on what matters, working like a spotlight that illuminates some areas brilliantly while leaving others in darkness. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Visual attention
- Audio attention
- Color strategy
- Visual hierarchy
- Movement and animation
- Clear boundaries
- Cognitive clutter avoidance
3. Perception and Recognition
Definition: The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses, mainly focused on whether users can easily see and understand interface elements. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Readability
- Contrast
- Icons
- Typography
- Spacing
- Platform consistency
4. Gestalt Principles
Definition: How your brain constantly tries to make sense of visual information by grouping related elements together, using natural grouping tendencies to create intuitive interfaces. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Proximity
- Continuity
- Similarity
- Figure-Ground
5. Memory
Definition: The three-part system (sensory, short-term, and long-term memory) that every interface either supports or burdens in users’ cognitive capabilities. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Sensory Memory (SM)
- Short-Term Memory/Working Memory (STM/WM)
- Long-Term Memory (LTM)
- Recognition vs Recall
- Miller’s Magic Number (7±2)
- Chunking
- Limited capacity
- Fast/slow access
- Fast/slow decay
6. Mental Models
Definition: Internal representations people build about how things work, which are simplified but functional understandings of how systems operate. Subtopics/Characteristics:
- Designer’s mental model
- User’s mental model
- System image
- Metaphors
- Cultural differences
- Scaling limitations
- Three-way relationship