# Reduce Cognitive Load

> Reduce cognitive load across interfaces, presentations, PDFs, documents, diagrams, workflows, forms, dashboards, onboarding materials, and visual explanations. Use when Codex needs to simplify complexity, chunk information, reduce memory burden, replace recall with recognition, clarify steps, manage progressive disclosure, or make a process easier to understand and complete.

- Skill: `amaledtuning/reduce-cognitive-load` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add amaledtuning/reduce-cognitive-load`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/amaledtuning/reduce-cognitive-load/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: amaledtuning (https://skillmd.com/u/amaledtuning)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/amaledtuning/reduce-cognitive-load

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# Reduce Cognitive Load

Use this skill when a person has to understand, remember, compare, or complete too much at once. It applies to UI flows, forms, checkout, settings, dashboards, slide narratives, PDF explainers, diagrams, reports, and instructions.

## Workflow

1. Identify the user's immediate goal and the mental work required to reach it.
2. Read `references/principles.md` when the task involves multi-step flows, dense options, memory burden, confusing processes, complex explanations, or too many simultaneous decisions.
3. Map the load: what the user must notice, understand, remember, decide, and do.
4. Reduce unnecessary load with chunking, visible context, recognition cues, defaults, progressive disclosure, and fewer simultaneous choices.
5. Pair with execution skills as needed: `frontend-design`/`react` for UI, `presentations` for decks, `documents` for PDF/DOCX, `spreadsheets` for tables, `imagegen` for visual explanations, or `figma` for design files.

## Output Expectations

Return a simpler information or interaction model: fewer simultaneous demands, clearer steps, visible context, and recognition-based cues. State what should be removed, grouped, deferred, automated, or made visible.

## Boundaries

Do not use this skill for broad onboarding strategy unless the main issue is mental-model formation; use `design-onboarding-mental-model` for first-use explanation. Use `simplify-decisions-recovery` when choice architecture or error recovery is the central problem.