design of friction - design encounters conference
TRANSCRIPT
FRICTION IN DESIGN
The force resisting action of
actors* interacting with each
other.*humans, interfaces and objects
Maglev train beating the world speed record
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Omnichannel experience at Starbucks
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1-Click ordering at Amazon since 1999
Frictionless supremacy?
What if just the right amountof resistance, of friction, could
enhance experience?
One slip is enough for a fatal fall
Are you going to get in?
Problem: Not enough drivers availableat peak hours!
In situation of supply-demand mismatch,how to:
Make customersless disappointed?
Make anadditionalprofit?
Protect from competition?
$$$
1 2 3
Solution: Surge Pricing as Friction
Source: Bill Gurley, A Deeper Look at Uber’s Dynamic Pricing Model
Higher demand for Uber
Automatic increaseof fare rates
More drivers availableSome demand drifts
away
Increasedprofits for
drivers
Predicted Effect of Surge Pricing
Price
Quantity
P1
P2
Q1
Price
Quantity
P3
Q2
Chart 1: Before Surge Pricing Chart 2: After Surge Pricing
Ass
um
pti
on
: Cet
eris
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rib
us
Q: Who reads Terms and Conditions / End User License
Agreements before using a product?
Over 50% of users do not read End User License Agreementsbefore clicking the „I agree” button (Böhme and Köpsell).
Implementation of Surge PricingSo
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Dissatisfaction of customers
Dissatisfaction of drivers
Customers unaware of price surge
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Sticker price shock
New Solution: Friction Added to The Process
Sou
rce:
Bill
Gu
rley
, A D
eep
erLo
ok
at
Ub
er’s
Dyn
am
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Screen 3Screen 2Screen 1
Friction for Managing Expectations
• Increase in voluntary behaviour
• Increase in satisfaction
•Business impact: increase in revenue & market share
Designing for Trust at Airbnb
• Profiles:
- Removed anonimity
- Mandatory profile pictures
• Recommendations
• Messaging
Ico
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y Jo
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„Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment"*
Some of Airbnb’s design choices
facilitate discrimination
Guests with African-American names
are 16% less likely to be accepted
*Working paper (2015) by BENJAMIN EDELMAN, MICHAEL LUCA, AND DAN SVIRSKY, Harvard Business School
HBS’ scholars suggestions* for Airbnb
1. Alter the pricing mechanisms
2. Limit the flow of discriminating information
3. Enable an equal access to key functionalities (e.g. Instant Booking)
*Research by BENJAMIN EDELMAN, MICHAEL LUCA, AND DAN SVIRSKY from Harvard Business School
Solution: Airbnb’s Open Doors Policy
Ongoing experimentation with:
• Booking help toward guestsdiscriminated against
• Going beyond photos
• Inreacing availability
of „Instant book” service
Expected Results of Intervention
Inreased friction for hosts:
smaller control over guests
Decreased discrimnation of guests and increase in their satisfaction
More transactionsoverall*
* Hypothesis to be verified
Enforcementof the policy
Criticism of implementation of this policy
2 opposing views
Hosts prefer the status quo
Much more could be donefor discriminated guests
Application of Friction for Collective Wellbeing
• Limit discriminating behaviour
• Empowerment of the weaker
•Business impact: more transaction overall*
* To be verified
Friction in credit card experienceP
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Financial Services User Research*
*Co-Research by Kwiecinski Business Advisory (2015, 2016)
Credit cards are tempting and
easy to use
Fear of getting intoa debt spiral
&Disbelief in one’s
moderation of credit card usage
Avoidanceof credit cards
Solution: Damaged (Good) Credit Card
Friction through explicitly restricted functionality
Decrease
in psychological barriers Additional limitsUsage only in selected POS
Solution: Fuel Credit Card (Damaged Good)
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a, C
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MyKey - Another example of a DamagedGood:
Friction for Self-Assurance
• Limited functionality
•Decrease in psychological barriers
•Business impact: more clients and more transactions
Effects of Increased Friction
Managed expectetions
Increasedself-assurance
Increasedcollectivewellbeing
Productive friction
1. When restriction of actions is needed.
2. When friction (difficulty) leads to creation of addedvalue.
We can also use friction as a metaphore – to challange
the assumptions
Lessons to be applied
•Apply just the right amount of friction
•Analyse multiple stakeholder perspectives
•Redistribute friction within a system to improve the overall
mechanics
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Use Friction as a Tool!
Tomasz Bieńkowski
Senior Service Designer