Editing Capacity Limitations Principle (section)

=== Design Implications ===

It is important that graphic and contextual designs follow The Principle of Capacity Limitations and take account of the limited capacity of people’s working memory. 
Here are a few tips to do that:

1.	Avoid putting an excessive amount of information in a single message. The quantity of information contained in one graph or display should not exceed the capacity of the working memory. Designers should avoid incorporating more than 4 items or clusters of information in one single display. For example, when designing a user interface for a software application, it is good to limit the number of menu items or options on a screen to a level that the user can process and remember effectively. Similarly, when designing a PowerPoint presentation, designers can limit the number of slides to a level that the audience can process and remember effectively.

2.	Chucking. Chucking refers to combining several smaller units of knowledge into a larger meaningful and relevant unit. This allows our working memory to hold more information. Incorporating the chucking method in designs allows the designer to include more information into the display without causing cognitive overload. 

3.	[https://ectwiki.online/index.php?title=Multimedia_Principle The Multimedia Principle]. The Multimedia Principle states that people learn better when words and pictures are presented simultaneously than from words alone. When a design incorporates The Multimedia Principle, the learners can retain and process the information displayed better and easier. This accounts for the limited capacity of the working memory and reduces the chances of cognitive overload.