People Only Have Space For About 7 Things In Their Short-term Memory

So why is your website full of crap?

Let’s start this post with an image:

What’s your first impression?

It’s too much, right?

There are lots of things going on in the image.

And wait until you see the moving elements on the website too…

Clearly, the designer forgot about an important UX guideline: Miller’s Law.

I won’t bore you with the definition and background of Miller’s Law too much. In short, it means people tend to have space for about 7 things in their short-term memory. When we need to remember or consider more elements, our brains might start to cook slightly.

Therefore, your website design must be simple. Here are a few things you can do to make your website less overwhelming:

• Keep the design simple
• Avoid moving elements
• Minimise choices (No social media buttons. Fewer menu options)
• Chunk information that belongs together
• Use recognised design patterns
• Add more white space