Steer clear of user overload

Seven, plus or minus two. It’s the sweet spot of short-term memory, a limit psychologists pinned down decades ago (see Miller's Law). Our brains juggle five to nine chunks of info before they start dropping balls. As writers shaping user experiences, it's not just a magic number—it's a guardrail.

Think about a navigation menu. Stack it with twelve options, and you’re not helping anyone. Users scan, hesitate, and then bail. Cognitive overload creeps in, and suddenly your clever labels feel like a maze. But trim it to six? Clarity reigns. The mind breathes. Decisions snap into focus. That’s why this number matters: it’s less about what we can cram in and more about what sticks without strain.

Pile on too much, and you lose people. The brain’s not a filing cabinet; it’s a fleeting sketchpad. Respect its limits, and you’re not forcing users to think harder than they should.

So, when plotting elements—menus, steps, or options—hover around seven. It’s not rigid; five works, nine can stretch it. But push past that, and you’re gambling with attention. Writing for humans means knowing their edges. Seven, give or take, isn’t magic because it’s precise—it’s magic because it fits how we’re wired. Keep it lean.