| name | cognitive-accessibility |
| description | Use when evaluating mental load, wayfinding, focus management, memory demands, or decision complexity in any interface — ensures designs work for people with cognitive differences, under stress, or managing divided attention |
Cognitive Accessibility
The hardest accessibility barriers to see are cognitive ones. A screen reader user encounters a missing label and knows immediately. A person with a processing difference encounters an interface that demands too much of their working memory and just... leaves. This skill makes cognitive demands visible and manageable.
When to Use
- Designing multi-step processes or forms
- Creating navigation structures or information architecture
- Evaluating whether an interface asks too much of the user
- Designing for contexts of stress, distraction, or time pressure
- Reviewing any interface for cognitive load
Process
Step 1: Assess Cognitive Load
For each screen or flow, evaluate three types of load:
Intrinsic load — complexity inherent to the task
- How many concepts must the user understand simultaneously?
- How many decisions must they make per screen?
- Can the task be simplified without losing essential function?
Extraneous load — complexity added by poor design
- Is information organised logically or scattered?
- Are instructions clear and visible, or must the user remember them?
- Is the interface consistent, or do similar things work differently in different places?
Germane load — effort spent learning the system
- Can the user build a mental model from the interface structure?
- Are patterns consistent so that learning one part teaches the next?
- Does the interface reward exploration or punish mistakes?
Step 2: Reduce Extraneous Load
Extraneous load is design debt. Reduce it:
- Show, do not ask people to remember. If a user needs information from Step 2 in Step 5, display it — do not expect them to recall it
- Progressive disclosure. Show only what is needed now. Reveal complexity as it becomes relevant
- Consistent patterns. Same action, same appearance, same location, every time
- Clear defaults. Sensible pre-selections reduce decisions. Make the safe choice the easy choice
- Chunking. Break long forms into sections of 3-5 related fields. Break long content into scannable sections
Step 3: Wayfinding
People need to know three things at all times:
- Where am I? (clear page titles, breadcrumbs, highlighted navigation)
- Where can I go? (visible navigation, clear calls to action)
- Where have I been? (visited link styles, progress indicators, history)
For multi-step processes:
- Show progress (step 3 of 5)
- Allow backward navigation without data loss
- Show a summary of previous steps' inputs
- Allow saving progress and returning later
Step 4: Focus Management
Attention is a limited resource. Protect it:
- One primary action per screen. If everything is important, nothing is
- Visual hierarchy guides attention. The most important element should be the most visually prominent
- Minimise interruptions. Notifications, pop-ups, and auto-updates break concentration
- Support return from interruption. If the user is interrupted, the interface should help them resume where they left off
- Timed actions are hostile. If a timeout is necessary, warn before it expires and allow extension
Step 5: Error Recovery
Cognitive accessibility means mistakes are cheap:
- Undo everything. Every action should be reversible
- Confirm destructive actions. "Delete all items?" with a clear way to cancel
- Preserve input. If a form submission fails, do not clear the fields
- Forgive formatting. Accept phone numbers with or without dashes, dates in multiple formats
- Provide clear recovery paths. After an error, the next step should be obvious
Step 6: Document Cognitive Considerations
For each screen or flow, note:
- Decisions required: how many, how complex
- Memory demands: what the user must remember vs. what is displayed
- Wayfinding cues: how the user knows where they are
- Recovery paths: how the user corrects mistakes
- Simplification opportunities: what could be removed or deferred
Integration
- Called by: Any design skill, especially
ui-composition and interaction-design
- Pairs with:
accessible-content (language complexity), adaptive-interfaces (personalisation), inclusive-personas (cognitive diversity)
- Reviewed by:
designpowers-critique
Quick Reference: COGA Guidelines
| Guideline | Implementation |
|---|
| Provide help and support | Contextual help adjacent to complex interactions |
| Use clear language | Plain language, no jargon, short sentences |
| Make it easy to find things | Consistent navigation, clear labels, search |
| Make tasks easy to complete | Fewer steps, clear progress, forgiving input |
| Avoid reliance on memory | Display information rather than requiring recall |
| Provide feedback | Clear confirmation of actions and state changes |
| Prevent and support error correction | Validation, undo, confirmation for destructive actions |
