Evaluation of users' cognitive load during testing of publishing multimedia system prototypes

The article is devoted to the study of users’ cognitive load during the testing of prototypes of publishing multimedia systems at three levels of fidelity: a low-fidelity prototype, a medium-fidelity interactive prototype, and a high-fidelity prototype. Three prototype testing methods were applied: heuristic evaluation, moderated user testing, and think-aloud testing. The low-fidelity prototype contained only the wireframe of screens and the basic navigation structure, which made it possible to verify the logic of element placement without the influence of decorative factors. The medium-fidelity prototype included the main color and typographic solutions, minimal interactive transitions, and images. The high-fidelity prototype reproduced full multimedia interaction. Cognitive load was assessed using a nine-point scale, which allowed for the quantitative evaluation of the subjective difficulty of task performance. Forty participants took part in the testing, working with three types of publishing multimedia system prototypes. The distribution of cognitive load indicators by prototype fidelity level and the average cognitive load values were demonstrated. The results showed that during the think-aloud testing, users experienced the lowest cognitive load, while heuristic evaluation required the greatest mental effort. Moderated testing ensured an optimal balance between perception and task performance accuracy. A model of cognitive load formation during prototype testing was developed, reflecting the tendency of decreasing users’ cognitive load with increasing interactivity and communicative support during testing. Thus, the obtained results indicate that the level of cognitive load directly depends on the interactivity and visual structure of prototypes, as well as on the type of user interaction.

Keywords: cognitive load, multimedia publishing system, testing, prototype, model.

doi: 10.32403/0554-4866-2025-2-90-210-215