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Memory
Miller's Law
The average person can only keep 7 (±2) items in their working memory.
Key Principles
- 1Chunk information into groups of 5–9 items.
- 2Don't force users to remember information across steps.
- 3Use visual grouping to help users process content.
- 4Keep navigation and option sets within cognitive limits.
Try It
Adjust the number of items. Past 7, items highlight to show working memory overload.
Items: 5Within limits
Item 1Item 2Item 3Item 4Item 5
Within limitExceeds limit
Code Pattern
tsx
1// ✅ Good: Chunked phone number input
2<div className="flex gap-2">
3 <input maxLength={3} placeholder="555" />
4 <span>-</span>
5 <input maxLength={3} placeholder="123" />
6 <span>-</span>
7 <input maxLength={4} placeholder="4567" />
8</div>
9
10// ❌ Bad: Single long input
11<input maxLength={10} placeholder="5551234567" />Chunk long strings of information into manageable groups.