What is the cognitive load?
October 21, 2026
A screen can hold everything someone needs and still overwhelm them.
My co-host Erin Wiggers does complex HubSpot work and has to document it so it can be handed off. Even for people who are pretty savvy with HubSpot, she says, it's a lot to take in.
Here's what goes through her mind when she asks, can I consume it?
"What is the cognitive load? Am I asking them to do too much in looking at this screen? How can I incorporate progressive disclosure so I know the user has gotten the one thing and is manually moving to the next thing so that they're not overwhelmed."
Progressive disclosure means showing one thing at a time. Before you add the next thing, ask what your reader is already carrying.
Where this came from
The Right Context at the Moment of Choice — AI Readiness, Part 3Watch the full conversation this clip was pulled from.
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