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Friction 0:45

A 45-second explainer of Friction, narrated over the same demo you can try yourself.

The Friction explainer. Prefer to do it yourself? Try the interactive demo.

Try the interactive Friction demo

What this video covers

Friction is any effort an interface puts between a person and what they're trying to do - a step, a confirmation, a wait, a decision. It isn't simply bad: friction on the wrong action repels people, but a deliberate dose on a risky one is a safety net. The skill is matching the friction to the stakes, not removing it everywhere.

Frictionless, the routine action flew - and the destructive one was a single slip from disaster. Add a confirm step and the destructive action became safe, but the routine one turned into a needless chore. Same friction, opposite effect: it's not about how much, but where.

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