In Praise of Friction

Sure, it costs time and effort. But a healthy dose might save us.

Most of us would prefer less friction in our lives. But for those hearty enough to brave Chicago winters, it’s a godsend this time of year. The opposing forces of mass and motion keep our feet gripped to the ground, our cars heading mostly in the right direction, and our rubbed hands a few degrees warmer. Even in an otherwise unpredictable age, Newton’s second law of motion always comes through for us, without fail.

The role of friction in designing a customer experience, however, is a bit more nuanced. Any obstacle standing between buyer and transaction is an opportunity for a sale to fail. So recent years have seen companies achieve great success in painstakingly removing any such moment of friction. From online commerce to car-fetching apps, ease and speed have reigned.

Which is perfectly understandable when time is of the essence. Yet now that it’s been in greater supply for a spell, that equation may be changing. Our streaming services have become so friction-free, we’ve forgotten which series we’ve binged. Online shops have gotten so single-click simple, we’ve filled our homes with cardboard and regret. And just last month, a stock-buying app became so much like a game, it nearly stopped the market.