IOReduktion

IOReduktion, short for Information-Overload Reduction, is a concept in information design and cognitive ergonomics describing strategies to lessen cognitive effort by minimizing unnecessary input and streamlining output in systems. It emphasizes aligning data presentation with user goals, improving signal-to-noise ratio, and employing progressive disclosure, sensible defaults, and contextual filtering.

The term has appeared in recent literature and practitioner discussions in German-speaking contexts and in international HCI discourse, though there is no single formal definition. It is used variably to denote either interface design methods or organizational processes that reduce information that users must process or act on.

Key principles include reducing overall input requirements, eliminating redundant alerts, prioritizing salient information, and designing feedback that is immediately actionable. It often involves measuring cognitive load, task success rates, and error rates to assess effectiveness.

Applications include user interfaces, control rooms, industrial automation, educational tools, and health informatics, where reducing unnecessary I/O can speed decision making and lower fatigue.

Critics note that overzealous reduction can obscure necessary information or degrade flexibility. The usefulness of IOReduktion depends on user context, task complexity, and the accuracy of the underlying models that determine what is essential. Related topics include information overload and cognitive load theory.