No more than 7 elements in User Interface?
Have you heard of 7 +/- 2 rule? It argues that average person can hold from 5 up to 9 unrelated objects in his/her working memory at one time. That comes from George Miller’s paper The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two.
This rule is sometimes applied to design including user interface design (UID). Even some recognized books devoted to UID refer to that rule. Read (old) post by Edward Tufte. There are lot of suggestions on the internet around rule of 7.
So, now we know that people can store about 7 objects in their working memories, should we use only 7 elements in design? 7 options on menu? Well, as it appears, not really.
Well, when operating in UI, user doesn’t use only memory as the only one cognitive function. We can’t forget also about recognition. And there are a lot more cognitive functions that would help user to operate. For instance there are some techniques that helps people to memorize more by using their imagination. For instance I have personally found a very useful technique of memorizing things by relating them to constant pictures in my mind.
Well, in short words, usually there are more complicated things going out in user interfaces than some general rules (which might, and also might not be true in our specific cases). And as there is something about not having too many elements in user interface, it is always better to be critical and have real tests on users to tell whether our claims are true or not. Of course, there is always a problem of having a good testing in fast paced development environments where pressure from clients is an everyday event. Some people are talking about integrating user centred practices in such agile environments, but this is a story for other time.
Thank’s for our HCI course teacher Jared, for bringing attention upon that. I was one the people who sometimes blindly believed in such sticky-attractive-number-rule.
