The Value of Friction
What technology’s drive for seamlessness gets wrong.
I’ve been thinking lately about friction — not the physical force, but the small resistances we encounter in daily life. The tech industry has made eliminating friction its north star, pursuing ever more seamless experiences. Every tap saved, every decision automated, every interface made invisible — all pursued as necessary and celebrated as progress. But I’m increasingly convinced we’re missing something fundamental about human nature in this relentless pursuit of effortlessness.
Consider how different it feels to discover something rather than have it given to you. Finding an unexpected book while looking for a recommended title can feel like destiny. Stumbling upon a great restaurant instead of Uber-ing to the top recommendation on Yelp creates a lasting and special memory. Or, how the experience of reading changes when you switch from a physical book to an e-reader with infinite options always a tap away. The friction in these “older” experiences isn’t just inefficiency — it’s part of what makes them meaningful.
There’s something deeply human about wanting to earn our outcomes rather than having them bestowed upon us. When we work for something, when we overcome resistance to achieve it, we value it more. This isn’t just nostalgia talking; it’s about how we create meaning through engagement and effort.
This insight has profound implications for how we design technology. In our drive to make everything instant and effortless, we may be undermining the very experiences we’re trying to enhance. When AI can generate any image we describe, write any text we request, or answer any question immediately, something is lost in the space where effort used to be.
The challenge for designers isn’t to eliminate all friction, but to find the right balance — enough resistance to create value and meaning, but not so much as to become genuinely obstructive. This “golden ratio” of friction might be different for each experience, but the principle remains: some friction isn’t just acceptable, it’s essential.
Seamlessness isn’t always the answer. In a world increasingly mediated by technology, we might need more friction, not less — more moments of intentional resistance that remind us we’re human, more opportunities to earn our way to what we desire. After all, the most meaningful experiences in life rarely come without effort.
Written by Christopher Butler on
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