Friction Logs: The Simple Practice That Improves Products
The term “Friction Log” was first introduced by Suz Hinton on the ShopTalk podcast. The concept is straightforward: when you use a product or tool, write down every moment where you experience friction.
- Did an installation step fail unexpectedly?
- Did the documentation omit something you observed?
- Did you pause to question whether an API existed or how it functioned?
- Were you puzzled by the naming of a specific feature?
All of these are friction points—and the key is to log them. That log then becomes a roadmap for improvement, because smoothing out those rough edges directly enhances the product itself.
Rick Blalock has launched frictionlog.com, a site built on this very idea. Watching someone else get stuck might sound odd, but people frequently say they enjoy seeing others work through problems in screencasts. Friction logs take that concept a step further, highlighting moments of difficulty that are specifically worth calling out.
Imagine an industry shift where companies actually pay people to perform friction logs on their products. It could function as an especially informed form of customer research—one that turns everyday frustration into actionable insight.
