TLDR Design · OPINIONS & TUTORIALS
FRICTION BY DESIGN
Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter
Frictionless digital design optimizes for speed and efficiency, but removing all obstacles can eliminate awareness and meaningful decision-making. Deliberately designed friction—like confirmation pauses or undo delays—create moments of attention that respect human judgment rather than pushing machine-speed interactions. Good friction is intentional and purposeful, while bad friction wastes time without delivering value.