Gimme friction, baby
Signull, writing about how friction is the feature:
scroll, like, forget.read, nod, move on.
infinite content. zero weight.
[...]
signal.
intent.
the emotional weight of engagement.
because here's the truth no one wants to admit:
if it costs nothing, it often means nothing.
friction isn't a bug. it's the mechanism.
it slows you down just enough to actually feel.
and in a world of infinite noise, the only way through is to matter.
to make people care.
to risk being misunderstood in order to be felt.
this is the new creative contract.
if i bleed to write it, you should feel something to read it.
and if you do, welcome.
this is how you build anything that is truly valuable, something that truly lasts the test of time.
Playful media wants to be free and expensive.
It also needs to be convenient and frictional.
Convenience makes an experience accessible, immediate, simple, succinct and satisfying.
But too much convenience trivialises both the experience and its value. If it is designed to lose nobody, it may give nobody a reason to care.
Sometimes you need friction. Friction is evidence of appetite.