Do you remember the last time you were told to memorize something?
I can’t. Can you?
Memorizing is a thing of the past, and hence why we can sometimes even don’t memorize our way home from work. We rely on Google Maps. Some of us do, not all.
Read: Here is why we depend so much on Google Maps
If it’s a thing of the past, then why are we talking about it?
Good point.
Design.
Although most newly designed platforms are designed with the customer in mind, some platforms are designed based on someone else’s logic that the user could remember 10 steps, where you jump between different screens to complete one task.
The thing is our brain is that we are not built to remember every single detail of all the things that we lay our eyes on.
When we use a new platform or a website, we rely on our short-term memory, which as per the rule of thumb is seven plus or minus two chunks of information.
Read: The Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design
The fewer steps the user has to perform better. The simpler words you use the better.
There is a reason why we prefer MCQ tests over short answers. We like drop-down menus and love the auto-complete feature whenever it’s presented to us.
It’s easier to recognize that to recall.