Cognitive Load Assessment Skill

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Cognitive Load Assessment tasks - Working on measure and manage team cognitive load
• Planning or design - Need guidance on Cognitive Load Assessment approaches
• Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards

Overview

Measure and manage team cognitive load to optimize productivity and sustainability.

MANDATORY: Documentation-First Approach

Before assessing cognitive load:

1. Invoke docs-management skill for cognitive load patterns
2. Verify concepts via MCP servers (perplexity)
3. Base guidance on cognitive load theory and Team Topologies

Cognitive Load Theory for Teams

Three Types of Cognitive Load:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    TOTAL COGNITIVE LOAD                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐  ┌───────────────┐    │
│  │   INTRINSIC   │  │  EXTRANEOUS   │  │    GERMANE    │    │
│  │   (Domain)    │  │  (Accidental) │  │  (Learning)   │    │
│  │               │  │               │  │               │    │
│  │ • Business    │  │ • Bad tools   │  │ • New skills  │    │
│  │   complexity  │  │ • Tech debt   │  │ • Growth      │    │
│  │ • Domain      │  │ • Manual      │  │ • Innovation  │    │
│  │   knowledge   │  │   processes   │  │               │    │
│  └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘  └───────────────┘    │
│                                                              │
│  GOAL: Reduce extraneous, manage intrinsic, allow germane   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Intrinsic Cognitive Load

INTRINSIC LOAD: Inherent complexity of the domain

Sources:
• Business domain complexity
• Required domain knowledge
• Problem space difficulty
• Integration complexity
• Compliance requirements

Management Strategies:
• Clear bounded contexts
• Domain-driven design
• Right team for right domain
• Specialists where needed
• Documentation and training

Assessment Questions:
□ How complex is the business domain?
□ How much domain knowledge is required?
□ How many systems must team understand?
□ How many stakeholders to coordinate with?
□ How complex are compliance requirements?

Extraneous Cognitive Load

EXTRANEOUS LOAD: Unnecessary complexity (waste)

Sources:
• Poor tooling and processes
• Technical debt
• Unclear requirements
• Manual deployments
• Legacy systems
• Poor documentation
• Meeting overload

Management Strategies:
• Invest in developer experience
• Reduce technical debt
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Clear communication
• Self-service platforms
• Reduce handoffs

Assessment Questions:
□ How much time on non-value work?
□ How painful are deployments?
□ How much context switching?
□ How many manual processes?
□ How much waiting for others?

Germane Cognitive Load

GERMANE LOAD: Productive learning and growth

Sources:
• Learning new technologies
• Skill development
• Innovation work
• Process improvement
• Mastering the domain

Management Strategies:
• Protected learning time
• Conference attendance
• Hackathons
• Mentoring programs
• Stretch assignments

Assessment Questions:
□ How much time for learning?
□ How much innovation work?
□ Are people growing skills?
□ Is knowledge being shared?
□ Is there time for experimentation?

Cognitive Load Assessment

Assessment Framework

Team Cognitive Load Formula:

TOTAL LOAD = Intrinsic + Extraneous + Germane

HEALTHY: Total Load < Capacity
STRESSED: Total Load ≈ Capacity
OVERLOADED: Total Load > Capacity

Capacity Factors:
• Team size
• Experience level
• Tool quality
• Process maturity
• Support availability

Assessment Questionnaire

Rate each item 1-5 (1=Low load, 5=High load):

INTRINSIC LOAD (Domain Complexity)
□ ___ Business domain complexity
□ ___ Number of systems owned
□ ___ Integration complexity
□ ___ Stakeholder coordination
□ ___ Compliance requirements
Intrinsic Score: ___/25

EXTRANEOUS LOAD (Unnecessary Complexity)
□ ___ Tooling and infrastructure friction
□ ___ Manual processes and deployments
□ ___ Technical debt burden
□ ___ Waiting time for dependencies
□ ___ Context switching frequency
Extraneous Score: ___/25

GERMANE LOAD (Learning & Growth)
□ ___ New technology adoption rate
□ ___ Process change frequency
□ ___ Skill development demands
□ ___ Innovation expectations
□ ___ Documentation/training work
Germane Score: ___/25

TOTAL COGNITIVE LOAD: ___/75

Interpretation:
< 30: Low load (capacity available)
30-45: Moderate load (sustainable)
45-60: High load (at risk)
> 60: Overloaded (unsustainable)

Domain Complexity Assessment

Domain Complexity Matrix

Team-Domain Fit

Domain Size Assessment:

SMALL DOMAIN (Team can fully own):
• Limited bounded context
• Clear boundaries
• Manageable complexity
• 5-9 person team appropriate

MEDIUM DOMAIN (Stretching team limits):
• Multiple sub-domains
• Some complexity
• Some dependencies
• May need splitting

LARGE DOMAIN (Team overloaded):
• Multiple bounded contexts
• High complexity
• Many dependencies
• MUST split into multiple teams

Cognitive Load Reduction Strategies

Reduce Extraneous Load

Platform Strategies:
• Self-service infrastructure
• Golden paths for common tasks
• Automated testing and deployment
• Centralized observability
• Clear documentation

Process Strategies:
• Reduce meetings
• Async communication
• Clear ownership
• Reduce handoffs
• Eliminate approval bottlenecks

Tooling Strategies:
• Developer experience investment
• IDE integration
• Local development parity
• Fast feedback loops
• Reduced context switching

Manage Intrinsic Load

Team Design Strategies:
• Right-size bounded contexts
• Align teams to domains
• Specialists for complex subsystems
• Clear team APIs
• Reduce dependencies

Knowledge Strategies:
• Domain documentation
• Onboarding programs
• Pair programming
• Knowledge sharing
• Cross-training

Protect Germane Load

Learning Strategies:
• 20% time for learning
• Conference budget
• Training programs
• Innovation sprints
• Mentoring relationships

Growth Strategies:
• Stretch assignments
• Rotation programs
• Leadership development
• Technical career tracks
• Community involvement

Assessment Template

# Cognitive Load Assessment: [Team Name]

## Team Profile
- **Size:** [N people]
- **Age:** [Months/years together]
- **Domain:** [Description]
- **Current Load:** [High/Medium/Low]

## Intrinsic Load Analysis

### Domain Complexity
[Description of domain complexity]

### Score: [X/25]

| Factor | Score | Notes |
|--------|-------|-------|
| Business complexity | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Systems owned | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Integration complexity | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Stakeholder coordination | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Compliance requirements | [1-5] | [Details] |

## Extraneous Load Analysis

### Pain Points
[Description of unnecessary complexity]

### Score: [X/25]

| Factor | Score | Notes |
|--------|-------|-------|
| Tooling friction | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Manual processes | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Technical debt | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Waiting/blocking | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Context switching | [1-5] | [Details] |

## Germane Load Analysis

### Learning Capacity
[Description of learning demands]

### Score: [X/25]

| Factor | Score | Notes |
|--------|-------|-------|
| New technology | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Process changes | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Skill development | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Innovation work | [1-5] | [Details] |
| Documentation work | [1-5] | [Details] |

## Total Assessment

| Load Type | Score | Status |
|-----------|-------|--------|
| Intrinsic | [X/25] | [Good/Warning/Critical] |
| Extraneous | [X/25] | [Good/Warning/Critical] |
| Germane | [X/25] | [Good/Warning/Critical] |
| **Total** | **[X/75]** | **[Overall status]** |

## Recommendations

### Immediate Actions (Reduce Extraneous)
1. [Action]
2. [Action]

### Short-term (Manage Intrinsic)
1. [Action]
2. [Action]

### Long-term (Protect Germane)
1. [Action]
2. [Action]

## Reassessment Schedule
- Next review: [Date]
- Metrics to track: [List]

Workflow

When assessing cognitive load:

1. Gather Team Input: Survey or interview team members
2. Score Each Type: Rate intrinsic, extraneous, germane
3. Identify Hotspots: Where is load highest?
4. Analyze Causes: Why is load high?
5. Prioritize Reductions: Focus on extraneous first
6. Plan Actions: Specific improvements
7. Track Progress: Reassess periodically

References

For detailed guidance:

Last Updated: 2025-12-26