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Part 1 of 6

Foundations

Cognitive Science: The Building Blocks of Human Interface Interaction

What You'll Learn

The Science Behind Design

Understanding the cognitive and psychological principles that form the foundation of effective UX/UI design. This part explores how humans perceive, process, and respond to information, providing the scientific basis for all design decisions.

Cognitive Psychology & Perception

Key Concepts:

  • How users chunk and organize information
  • Working memory limitations and their design implications
  • Gestalt principles and visual perception
  • Recognition patterns vs. recall mechanisms

Human Behavior & Decision Making

Key Concepts:

  • Flow states and optimal user engagement
  • Decision-making biases and heuristics
  • Cognitive overload and choice architecture
  • Behavioral patterns in digital interfaces

Why This Part Matters

Essential insights for designers, developers, and product managers

For Designers

These foundational principles inform every design decision you make. Understanding how users think and perceive enables you to create intuitive, effective interfaces that work with human psychology rather than against it.

For Developers

Implementing designs based on cognitive science ensures that your code serves real human needs. These principles help you make better architectural decisions about information hierarchy, interaction patterns, and performance optimization.

For Product Managers

Foundation principles provide a scientific framework for prioritizing features, evaluating designs, and making data-driven decisions about user experience. They help you communicate design rationale to stakeholders.

Learning Path

27 principles organized into 2 chapters

1

Cognitive Psychology & Perception

17 principles

2

Human Behavior & Decision Making

10 principles

27Total Principles
2Chapters
12minAvg Per Principle

How to Approach This Part

Tailored learning paths for different experience levels

For Beginners

From Subjective to Scientific

Start with the core principles like Chunking (F.1.1.01) and Cognitive Load (F.1.1.02). These establish fundamental concepts that appear throughout UX design.

For Intermediate

From Guesswork to Guidelines

Focus on the Gestalt principles and behavioral psychology concepts. Apply these to your current projects and observe how they improve user experience.

For Advanced

From Features to Outcomes

Deep-dive into the cognitive science research behind each principle. Experiment with combining multiple principles to solve complex design challenges.

Explore Foundations Principles

Real-World Applications

Where to apply these principles in your daily work

  • •Information architecture and content organization
  • •Visual hierarchy and layout design
  • •Navigation systems and user flows
  • •Form design and data input patterns
  • •Dashboard and data visualization
  • •Mobile and responsive design considerations

Prerequisites

Recommended knowledge before starting

Start Here

This is the foundational part. No prior experience needed to begin.

View All 27 Principles