Zero friction by default
The default question for every interface, workflow, and process we design is: what would this look like with no unnecessary steps? Not "how do we simplify this?" — that accepts the existing structure. Zero friction thinking starts from the outcome and works backwards, removing every step that does not directly serve it. The goal is to get the distance between intent and action as close to zero as possible.
Controlled friction as a guardrail
Not all friction is waste. A confirmation before deleting data, a review before a large payment, a pause before a major architectural decision — these gates earn their place because the cost of the wrong action is high. The rule: controlled friction is only justified when you can name the exact failure it prevents. If you cannot name it, remove it. Friction that exists for vague reasons like "just in case" is not a guardrail — it is a tax on the people doing the right thing.
Friction as a signal
Where users drop off, where teams get stuck, where the same question gets asked in every meeting — these are not just UX failures. They are signals about where the system is misaligned with how people actually think and work. We treat high-friction points as diagnostics: they tell us where the design is fighting the user instead of enabling them. Remove friction to go fast. Place friction to stay pointed in the right direction. Never confuse the two.