Digital App: Too many assets/tasks
The "problem": Too many 3D objects and/or tasks required of the user can lead to cognitive overload. The "solution": limiting the amount of both according to the expected audience.
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The "problem": Too many 3D objects and/or tasks required of the user can lead to cognitive overload. The "solution": limiting the amount of both according to the expected audience.
Last updated
This is where the research gets.. "research-ie". In other words, there's a lot of studies and data around cognitive load. One could speculate that a beautifully designed scene on a page with several animations and a few interactive tasks for the user could be engaging. These studies detail the effects of cognitive overload in children and there are even studies on cognitive load from AR. What I've gathered from these studies and from the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (UDL) is that within the context of AR storybooks for children, "more" is not always better.
In my own words, cognitive overload happens when there is simply too much information to process, visual or otherwise, at any given point in the experience. According to a journal article on cognitive load theory, there are three types of cognitive load: Intrinsic, extraneous and germane (de Jong, 2020). For AR storybooks, our main focus is extraneous cognitive load, which can be described as an instance where too much visual information or tasks have been asked of the user (de Jong, 2020). This specific type of cognitive load is unique because it can actually be avoided with more strategic design choices (de Jong). The gif below shows an example of an AR storybook scene where there are multiple visual stimuli as well as multiple tasks being asked of the user.
Limiting the amount of information the user is required to process at a single point is just one way to help lighten the "load". Keep in mind that knowing who your audience is will be vital info to determine when trying to figure out exactly how much content is too much. The UDL states that it is important to the general learning experience that “threats and distractions are minimized" (CAST, 2018). When designing AR storybooks for younger children, I recommend the "less is more" approach. The gif below shows the same scene as above, but with less visual information to process. There is also only a single task required of the user.
User context scenario: Take time to consider multiple scenarios where you are designing an AR storybook for, let's say, an age group of 5-8 years old. At the young end, this group could include early readers. It's of utmost importance to build an experience that caters to all users in your age group, focusing on not overwhelming them. Good thing there is oodles of research on early reading, and some of the studies even include technology. Have a look!
