The Unremembered Path: Why True Engagement Demands Friction
The Myth of Effortless Experiences
There’s a pervasive belief, a whispered mantra in modern design and experience creation, that everything must be frictionless. Seamless. Effortless. We’ve been told, in countless product launches and self-help manifestos, that the path to satisfaction is paved with the removal of all obstacles. But what if that very smoothness, that relentless pursuit of convenience, is precisely what strips away the opportunity for genuine engagement, for the kind of deep satisfaction that truly sticks?
It’s a core frustration I’ve grappled with for what feels like 7 years, watching as platforms and services bend over backwards to remove every conceivable point of resistance. The result? A glut of experiences that




