In the realm of AI and User Experience (UX) Design, the term ‘digital friction’ usually imparts a notion of hindrance. However, a subtle but essential paradigm shift is emerging, where this so-called deterrent is being recognized as a potent catalyst to enhance AI efficiency. This unexpected twist believes in harnessing, rather than avoiding, digital friction.
Digital friction refers to the certain elements in UX design that create a momentary pause – usually with the intention to involve users in the process, making them more than just passive consumers. A common example is the requirement of a captcha code. Although frequently perceived as a time-consuming process, these aspects serve crucial purposes, such as security, authentication, and preventing bots or web scrapers from accessing personal information.
At first glance, friction in UX seems contrasting to what designers strive for – a seamless, effortless user experience. But from another perspective, incorporating friction strategically can enhance the intended user experience. For instance, deleting an account or dramatic changes in privacy settings often involve an additional ‘are you sure?’ step. This integration of friction gives users a moment to think, preventing the potential unintended consequences of rash decisions. It even provides essential mental breathing space to differentiate between repetitive motions and significant actions, enhancing user engagement.
Far from impeding the user experience or the efficiency of AI, digital friction can be an underutilized tool. Machine Learning Algorithms can benefit from intentional friction points as these interventions can provide vital training data, teaching the AI about user behaviors and preferences. When the friction points are correctly designed, the AI-equipped applications can produce a wealth of insights about the user interaction patterns, fine-tuning the system to meet user needs more concisely.
The travel industry effectively deploys friction to enhance user experience. For example, booking platforms incorporate friction via reservation confirmation pop-ups to prevent accidental bookings, giving the user a valuable opportunity to review their options. Social media platforms utilize friction when warning users against potential harassment or harmful interactions. Similarly, e-commerce websites often require additional verification steps to confirm large purchases, mediating the risk of fraud.
Cognitive work in UX, with its deliberate introduction of friction, has its roots in preventing users from unintended errors. For instance, they protect users from accidentally sending incomplete or unsent emails or posts. It signifies the need for cautiously streamlined designs where avoiding unintended outcomes is as important as facilitating a seamless journey. An overly streamlined user interface may lead to significant errors that generate irreversible outcomes.
Harnessing digital friction recognizes and embraces its potential, leading the journey towards building more intelligent systems. Instead of eliminating friction completely, the focus must be on striking a balance between enhancing user convenience and avoiding unintended consequences.
Digital friction offers a unique opportunity for AI and UX to grow hand in hand. It provides a valuable chance not only to build systems that are user-friendly and efficient but also to design systems that learn from the users, leading to enhanced personalized experiences.
In the furtherance of this evolving perspective, we welcome UX designers, AI developers, and enthusiasts to explore more about using friction in AI and UX design and share their experiences and ideas. Marking the end of seeing friction as a daunting bottleneck, let’s welcome it as a significant part in developing more intelligent iterations of AI and an enhancer of UX Design.
Up until working with Casey, we had only had poor to mediocre experiences outsourcing work to agencies. Casey & the team at CJ&CO are the exception to the rule.
Communication was beyond great, his understanding of our vision was phenomenal, and instead of needing babysitting like the other agencies we worked with, he was not only completely dependable but also gave us sound suggestions on how to get better results, at the risk of us not needing him for the initial job we requested (absolute gem).
This has truly been the first time we worked with someone outside of our business that quickly grasped our vision, and that I could completely forget about and would still deliver above expectations.
I honestly can't wait to work in many more projects together!
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