Cognitive ergonomics
Cognitive ergonomics is the study of how mental work fits the tools and systems people use. It asks what a person can hold in working memory, what it costs to switch tasks, and what happens when software demands more attention than the job. Physical ergonomics fits the chair to the person. Cognitive ergonomics fits the tool to the mind.
We apply it to AI adoption. Licenses and training sessions are not enough if the workflow adds load the person cannot carry.
What the field sits on
Four sources we use when we explain the work:
1. IEA definition of cognitive ergonomics.
The International Ergonomics Association defines cognitive ergonomics as concerned with mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response as they affect human–system interaction. Topics include mental workload, decision-making, human–computer interaction, and training.
2. Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller).
Working memory is limited. Instruction and tools that ignore that limit raise load and lower performance. John Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory is the standard academic account of that architecture.
3. Technology Acceptance Model (Davis).
People adopt a system when they believe it is useful and easy to use. Fred Davis's Technology Acceptance Model remains the core research frame for why tools stick or stall.
4. BCG on AI value realization.
Most companies still struggle to turn AI investment into tangible value. BCG's 2024 research found that 74% of companies had not yet shown tangible value from AI; only 26% had moved beyond proofs of concept in a way that generated value.
What we measure in a Blueprint
A Blueprint does not start by counting licenses. It starts with load and friction: where AI is already in use, what it can reach, where people are compensating by hand or by shadow tools, and which workflows would reduce effort without adding risk. The Humanology Index turns that into a baseline. Everything after is measured against it.