Every product asks something from its users

When someone uses your product, they’re spending more than time. They’re spending attention. They’re reading words, parsing options, making decisions, remembering context, anticipating what comes next.

All of that is real cost. Cognitive scientists call it cognitive load. UX designers sometimes call it friction. By any name, it’s the mental effort the user has to spend just to get through your product.

Products that respect this effort feel light to use. Products that ignore it feel heavy, even when nothing’s technically wrong. Reducing friction isn’t just about making things faster — it’s about making the product feel kinder to use.

What cognitive load actually is

Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort a task requires.

Some load is intrin...

Reducing friction (cognitive load and decision fatigue)