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Offer simple/advanced modes; user chooses complexity
Primary Decision Tree
User arrives → What's their cognitive state?
├─ FOCUSED & ENERGETIC
│ ├─ Goal: Complete complex task
│ │ → Use power-user shortcuts + batch operations
│ └─ Goal: Explore/learn
│ → Show advanced features + guided tour
│
├─ DISTRACTED/MULTITASKING
│ ├─ On mobile
│ │ → Single-column layout + floating action button
│ └─ On desktop
│ → Minimize chrome + auto-save everything
│
├─ OVERWHELMED/ANXIOUS
│ ├─ First-time user
│ │ → Wizard flow + success celebrations
│ └─ Returning user hitting error
│ → Clear error recovery + undo options
│
└─ TIME-PRESSURED/URGENT
├─ Regular task
│ → Smart defaults + keyboard shortcuts
└─ Crisis situation
→ Emergency mode UI + direct contact options
Friction vs Feature Trade-offs
When feature requests conflict with friction reduction:
If feature adds >2 seconds to primary flow: Defer to advanced mode
If feature requires >4 mental chunks: Break into wizard steps
If feature serves <20% of users: Hide behind "More options"
If feature needs learning curve: Provide in-context help only
Failure Modes
1. Overwhelm Cascade
Detection Rule: If user abandons before completing first meaningful action
Symptom: High bounce rate on landing page, users don't scroll
Diagnosis: Too many choices presented simultaneously
Fix: Progressive disclosure - show only 1-2 primary actions initially
2. Context Switch Death Spiral
Detection Rule: If user takes >23 minutes to complete familiar 5-minute task
Symptom: Users losing place repeatedly, restarting workflows
Diagnosis: Interface doesn't preserve context across interruptions
Fix: Add "Continue where you left off" persistent banner
3. Invisible Progress Paralysis
Detection Rule: If users repeatedly ask "Is this working?" during long operations
Symptom: Users refresh page during background processing
Diagnosis: No feedback on system state or progress
Fix: Real-time progress indicators + time estimates
4. Micro-Friction Accumulation
Detection Rule: If completion rates drop >15% despite no major UX changes
Symptom: Users complete individual steps but abandon before final step
Diagnosis: Small frictions compound into abandonment
Fix: Remove one minor friction point per week systematically
5. Expert User Imprisonment
Detection Rule: If power users complain about "dumbed down" interface
Symptom: Feature requests for keyboard shortcuts, batch operations
Diagnosis: Optimized for beginners, frustrated experts
Fix: Adaptive UI that reveals complexity based on user behavior
Worked Examples
Example 1: E-commerce Checkout for ADHD User
Scenario: User with ADHD purchasing laptop accessories, gets distracted mid-checkout
Current Flow Analysis:
0:00 User adds items to cart (3 items)
└─ Cart shows: Item list, recommendations, promo codes, shipping calculator
0:30 Clicks "Checkout" → Redirected to shipping form
└─ Form has 12 fields, required fields marked with *
1:45 Phone notification interrupts
└─ User checks notification, returns to checkout
2:30 User confused - form partially filled but unclear what's complete
└─ Starts over, re-enters shipping address
4:00 Gets to payment step → Credit card form asks for billing address
└─ User forgot if billing = shipping, sees no indication
6:15 Completes payment → "Processing..." with spinning wheel
└─ No time estimate, user worries something broke
7:30 Success page → Generic "Order complete" message
└─ User unsure what happens next, when items ship
Decision Points Hit:
Distracted/Multitasking + Time-pressured → Should use auto-save + progress preservation
High Extraneous Load (too many form fields) → Should chunk into steps
Context Switch event → Need re-orientation support
Optimized Flow:
0:00 User adds items to cart
└─ Cart shows: Item list only, single "Secure Checkout" button (44px tall)
0:15 Checkout → Single step: "Where should we ship this?"
└─ Address form only, with "Use my saved address" option
└─ Auto-save on every keystroke
1:30 Phone interrupts → User leaves page
2:00 User returns → Banner: "Continue your checkout - we saved your progress"
└─ Address pre-filled, "Next: Payment" button ready
2:15 Payment step → "Same billing address?" with Yes (default) / No toggle
└─ Credit card form with visual validation (green checkmarks)
3:00 Submit → "Processing payment..." with progress bar
└─ "This usually takes 10-15 seconds"
3:15 Success → "Order #12345 confirmed! Ships Tuesday, arrives Friday"
└─ "Track your order" button + calendar reminder option
Key Changes:
Reduced 12 form fields to 3 focused steps
Added auto-save and progress restoration
Provided time estimates for all wait states
Used recognition over recall for billing address
Example 2: Software Dashboard Friction Audit
Scenario: SaaS analytics dashboard used by marketing teams
Journey Simulation:
User Intent: Create weekly report for executive team
Cognitive State: Time-pressured (due in 30 minutes)
Experience Level: Intermediate (uses tool monthly)
FRICTION AUDIT:
0:00 Lands on dashboard → 47 different widgets/charts visible
FRICTION: Overwhelm Cascade - too many data points
COGNITIVE LOAD: High extraneous
0:45 Looking for "Create Report" function → Finds it in hamburger menu
FRICTION: Hidden primary action
TIME LOSS: 45 seconds of hunting
1:30 Report builder opens → 23 chart type options in dropdown
FRICTION: Too many choices for time-pressured user
DECISION NEEDED: Past reports were always bar charts + line graphs
3:00 Selects data sources → Interface shows all 47 available sources
FRICTION: No smart filtering based on user's team/role
TIME LOSS: 90 seconds scrolling through irrelevant options
5:30 Starts building first chart → No template from last week's report
FRICTION: No learning from user patterns
CONTEXT SWITCH RISK: User might leave to find last week's report
8:00 Chart renders slowly (12 seconds) → No progress indication
FRICTION: Invisible Progress Paralysis
USER ANXIETY: "Is it broken? Should I refresh?"
15:00 Report preview → Executive template not applied automatically
FRICTION: Micro-friction accumulation
EXPERT USER ISSUE: No keyboard shortcuts for power users
Optimization Decisions:
Overwhelmed + Time-pressured → Use smart defaults + recent templates
High Extraneous Load → Filter options by user role/past behavior
Expert User + Familiar task → Provide power-user shortcuts
Quality Gates
Before considering a UX friction audit complete, verify:
Quantitative Metrics:
Task completion time reduced by ≥25% from baseline
Error rate decreased to ≤5% for primary user flows
Cognitive load score ≤6/10 (measured via NASA-TLX or user interviews)
Time-to-first-value ≤60 seconds for new users
Context switch recovery time ≤90 seconds
User Experience Validation:
3+ real users completed full journey without assistance
Zero critical accessibility violations (WCAG AA compliance)
Mobile touch targets ≥44px for all interactive elements
Page load times ≤3 seconds for all critical path pages
Design System Compliance:
All ADHD-friendly patterns implemented (auto-save, progress indicators, calm UI)
Fitts' Law violations eliminated (button sizing, placement)
Working memory limits respected (≤4 simultaneous UI elements requiring attention)
Every user action has clear feedback within 0.1 seconds
Error states include specific recovery instructions, not generic messages
NOT-FOR Boundaries
Do NOT use this skill for:
Visual design execution → Use [web-design-expert] instead
Qualitative data analysis, persona development from research
Boundary Decision Rule: If the task requires specialized domain expertise beyond UX psychology and cognitive principles, delegate to the appropriate specialist skill.
