Cognitive Load: Fewer Steps Doesn’t Always Mean Better
Author: Jay Thomas
UX Designer who builds UX research teams, leads design teams, and implements Jobs to be Done (JTBD) in companies
There’s a popular belief that great UX means achieving goals in as few steps as possible. But that’s not quite right. Reducing steps is just one way to lower cognitive load, not the end goal.
The real job of digital product design is to make user interaction clear, predictable, and mentally effortless. If cutting steps achieves that—great. But if simplification leads to hidden actions, unclear behavior, or more mental effort, it backfires.
Bad example:
Instead of “Save” and “Cancel” buttons, the system auto-saves on exit from a field. Technically, it removes one step—but the user loses control and fears accidental changes.
Good example:
In a login form, the phone number field pre-fills country and format based on geolocation or past data. It saves mental effort without hiding logic.
Bottom line:
The number of steps doesn’t matter as long as the mental load stays low. The goal of design is to help users think less, not just click less.
Jay Thomas
A UX strategist with a decade of experience in building and leading UX research and design teams. He specializes in implementing Jobs to be Done (JTBD) methodologies and designing both complex B2B admin panels and high-traffic consumer-facing features used by millions.
Previously, he led UX development at DomClick, where he scaled the UX research team and built a company-wide design system. He is a guest lecturer at HSE and Bang Bang Education and has studied JTBD at Harvard Business School.
Jay has worked with ONY, QIWI, Sber, CIAN, Megafon, Shell, MTS, Adidas, and other industry leaders, helping them create data-driven, user-centered experiences that drive engagement and business growth.
