Applying Human-Centered Design Thinking to Reduce Information Overload Among College Students: A Framework-Based Approach

Information overload in higher education is partly a consequence of fragmented information environments. Students are often expected to adapt themselves to multiple channels, inconsistent conventions, and continuous updates. A human-centered design approach offers a different path: study the information journey, identify where cognitive and organizational effort accumulates, and redesign the experience around real student decisions. This paper proposed the SIFT framework—Source mapping, Impact discovery, Filtering principles, and Trial—as a practical framework for applying design thinking to this problem. Its emphasis on user experience, source transparency, prioritization, control, and low-cost testing makes it suitable for a research-oriented Applied Design Thinking study without requiring development of a complete software product. Future work can validate the framework across institutions and examine which design principles have the greatest effect on retrieval effort, confidence, and perceived control.

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