Working Memory

The small, temporary mental space where people hold and use information during a task.

Why it matters

It fills quickly and fades fast, so screens must not depend on it.

How to use it

  • Make recognition easier than recall.
  • Show what was already chosen.
  • Mark visited links and recent items.

Example

Comparison tables let shoppers see features side by side, without remembering them from page to page.

Go deeper: Laws of UX