Miller's Law

• User Interface Design

Any list should not contain more than 7±2 items.

Lists such as items in the main menu of a program or bullets on a presentation slide should be limited to 7±2 items.

The human short-term memory is limited. Research shows that one can remember 7±2 chunks of information.

• Divide a long list into sub-lists adhering to the rule.

Note that this principle is questioned.

See also section contrary principles.

• The original source for 7±2 is this: George A. Miller: The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information
• How this became a design rule is unknown.

• Examined: There is scientific research concerning the short-term memory¹⁾. But this does not apply to any aspect of design directly.
• Accepted: The principle is widely stated as a (user interface) design rule.
• Questioned : It is highly doubtful to directly making a limit for memorizing digits to a generally applicable design rule. There is no evidence suggesting a rule that a list should not be longer then 7±2 items²⁾.

• More Is More Complex: This is a proposed design rule, which is not directly affected by the criticism of Miller's Law.

Stub

• The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two
• SevenPlusOrMinusTwo
• SevenPlusOrMinusTwoDiscussion
• Derek M. Jones: The 7±2 Urban Legend

Discuss this wiki article and the principle on the corresponding talk page.