Audio & Video

[Author: Bill Fischer]

Cognitive Load Overview

In this section, cognitive issues associated with attention and processing as well as understanding and communication limitations caused by sensory input limitations are addressed.




Attention and Information Processing Design Guide

Attention and Information

Live-action videos, animation, and special effects should be designed in way that does not cause negative reactions or stress to persons with cognitive challenges, or those that are in a distracting environment or may be experiencing concentration issues due to tiredness. Integration of the following design guidelines can help to accomplish this:

  • Utilize overall pacing that is easy to follow and has generous pauses between action sequences and scenes that allow for caption or audio description. Reference the example reel of well-paced video segments below.

Integrated Captions Composite.mp4

See the Full Videos and Credits for the Examples


Processing and Strobing

Do not use large rapidly animating images that can cause epileptic seizures (no more than 3 blinks per second... or between 2 and 25 hz). Also, avoid overlaid complementary colors or stripes that may scintillate. Strobing guidelines from Webaim (external link). This animated Motion Graphic called Spectre contains A few seconds that may be overwhelming for some and trigger seizures in other (external link).

Processing and Orientation

  • When users are consuming video, they should periodically be supplied with orienting devices that reduce cognitive load. They can include:

  • Title cards.

  • Establishing scene shots.

  • A clear, narrative-driven visual hierarchy within each scene.

  • A linear story structure.


How Blind and Sight-impaired Persons Understand the Visual World?

We need to keep in mind that the sight impaired create their own understanding of events happening on screen within the context of the way they experience the world through their available senses. And, that experience is rooted in sound, touch, smell, and taste. We only have sound to work with in video, so audio-storytelling that addresses as many senses as possible is key.

I have created shortcuts to segments inside of the videos to make it easier to revisit them, and also to provide a curated experience of the parts that I thought were most relevant to issues that are centered around how blind persons understand the visual world.

Types of blindness explained

  • Watch the entire video

How a blind person processes the visual world

  • Watch the entire video

Challenges of watching video as a blind person.



Communicating while deaf or hearing impaired

Getting to know the various ways how that deaf and hard of hearing persons generally communicate with the hearing world can offer insights that we can synthesize into our communication-focused media design.

I have created shortcuts to segments inside of the videos to make it easier to revisit them, and also to provide a curated experience of the parts that I thought were most relevant to issues that are centered around communication.

Functional Aspects of Communication and Inner Voice



Experiencing sensory inputs when neurodiverse

Understanding how neurodiverse persons experience sensory inputs can inform our design decisions for media that can deliver multimodes of input simultaneously.

I have created shortcuts to segments inside of the videos to make it easier to revisit them, and also to provide a curated experience of the parts that I thought were most relevant to issues that are centered around how neurodiverse persons react to sensory inputs.

Dylexia simulation

Watch the entire 2 minute video