Friction analysis is a UX design technique we use at Lucid to identify and reduce unnecessary steps in user interactions, enhancing the overall user experience and improving business metrics. By meticulously documenting every user action and system response, we can assign friction points to each step, quantify the friction, and implement design improvements. This process has proven effective in simplifying user flows and increasing key performance indicators such as signups and trial conversions.
This case study from our work at Lucidchart demonstrated the effectiveness of friction analysis. By focusing on our payment page, we identified 26 friction points and implemented changes like auto-progressing credit card fields, reducing the score to 19 points—a 26.92% reduction. These improvements led to significant increases in user engagement and conversions, such as a +2.4% rise in signups and a +524% boost in credit card field interactions. This approach not only enhances the user experience but also quantifies design impact, making it easier to gain stakeholder support for UX improvements.
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