The Quest for Sticky Products: Mastering the Art of Meaningful Friction
- Sophie Pilley
- Jul 10
- 5 min read
Why do users love products that make them work? Learn how to design friction that builds commitment, not frustration.
🧠 Psychology of Delight 2: The hidden psychology of effort that creates unbreakable product loyalty (part 2!)
"I hate this app. It's too complicated."
That was my first Notion review in 2018. Two years later, I had moved my entire digital life into it.
Here's the surprising truth I discovered after analyzing 50+ high-retention products: The ones users become obsessed with aren't the ones that make everything effortless—they're the ones that make users work for something worthwhile.
The pattern? Initial friction transforms into fierce loyalty.
We see it everywhere: Figma asks designers to relearn their workflow, Superhuman requires mastering dozens of shortcuts, Notion demands a new mental model for organizing information.
In part one, we explored why this works. Today, we'll unlock exactly how successful products turn learning curves into loyalty curves—and how you can design friction that users thank you for.
Ready to master the art of meaningful effort? Let's dive in. 🤿
💘 A Love Story in Product Design
Before & After Transformations
Slack: Complexity builds Culture
When a user says "I'll never use this again," that's not always a design failure.
Sometimes, it's the beginning of a love story. Here's what that transformation looks like in three of today's most beloved products.
Superhuman: Complexity → Identity
💔 Before - "This feels like paying $30/month to make email harder." — Actual App Store review, 2019. When Superhuman launched in 2014, they promised to revolutionise email. But asking users to abandon familiar Gmail habits for an entirely new workflow sparked immediate resistance.
💘 The Turning Point - For most users, the first few days felt impossible. Keyboard shortcuts replaced familiar mouse clicks, and old email habits had to be unlearned. But those who stuck with it for just one week discovered they could process email twice as fast—turning initial frustration into a powerful "aha" moment.
✨ The Magic - Superhuman didn't just teach shortcuts; they transformed users' identity. Every mastered command became a badge of honour. Every swift inbox clear became proof: "I'm not just an email user. I'm an email ninja.”
The Proof - Superhuman's impact is jaw-dropping: at Brex, employees now respond to emails 3x faster, saving 183 hours monthly across their team. With 50,000+ paying customers including Spotify, Notion, and Dropbox, users aren't just tolerating the learning curve—they're investing $30/month for the privilege of mastering it.
They now claim teams that use Superhuman “save 4 hours per person every single week.”
Midjourney: Confusion →Craft
💔 Before - "Why can't this just be a normal app? Discord is confusing and my prompts never work!" — Common user complaint, 2022. Midjourney's unconventional Discord interface and complex prompt system initially alienated many users who expected a simple image generator.
💘 The Turning Point - The first dozen images often looked nothing like what users imagined. But those who persisted discovered that each "failed" prompt taught them something about the AI's visual language. Within two weeks, users started crafting prompts with the precision of a skilled designer.
✨ The Magic - Midjourney didn't just generate images; it transformed users into prompt artists. Each refined command became a piece of creative expertise. Every stunning generation became proof: "I'm not just using AI, I'm crafting images."
The Proof - Today, Midjourney's Discord server hosts over 1.1 million active users, with 23,000 new creators joining daily.
More tellingly, 21.5% of visitors become dedicated users—choosing to push through the learning curve rather than seek easier alternatives.
Slack: When Complexity Builds Culture
💔 Before - "Our header alone had over a dozen places to click, and included two search bars" — Slack's own admission in 2020. The interface was a maze of dense menus, countless settings, and hidden features. For many, it felt like learning an entire operating system just to send messages.
💘 The Turning Point - The initial overwhelm gradually gave way to discovery. Users found that each "extra" feature—from channel organisation to custom workflows—wasn't just complexity for complexity's sake. Each element served a purpose in transforming team communication.
✨ The Magic - Slack didn't just create a chat app; they built digital headquarters. Teams developed their own cultures through custom emojis, automated workflows, and shared ways of working. What started as a communication tool became the fabric of company culture—complete with inside jokes, shared shortcuts, and workspace traditions.
The Proof - Today, 65 million monthly active users spend 90 minutes daily in Slack, executing 5 billion actions weekly. With a projected revenue of $4.2 billion by 2025, it's clear that users aren't just accepting the learning curve—they're building their digital work lives around it.
It's clear: the right kind of effort creates invested users. But how do you find that sweet spot? Too much challenge frustrates; too little leaves users feeling unattached.
I learned this firsthand designing benefit application forms. My instinct was to minimise steps. But ultra-streamlined forms led to more errors and frustration. By strategically adding friction—clear expectations, checklists, validation—we improved the experience. Users succeeded on their first try and felt more confident.
Here's how to find your product's magic ratio:
Step 1: Good Friction vs. Bad Friction – A Quick Audit
Categorise the effort users expend in your product:
Good Friction: Builds skills, creates ownership, yields satisfaction.
Example: Learning Notion's database system (initially complex, ultimately empowering).
Bad Friction: Wastes time, creates frustration, no payoff.
Example: Re-entering the same information across multiple screens.
Step 2: Add Rituals That Make Effort Satisfying
Rituals make mundane actions satisfying. Think: checking off to-dos, reaching milestones.
💡 Identify: Is there a frequent action in your product that could become a rewarding ritual?
➕ Add: Streaks, progress indicators, celebrations—make effort feel worthwhile.
Example: The achievement system in the image below transformed routine interactions into milestones, providing a sense of progression that boosted long-term engagement.
Step 3: Eliminate Pointless Work. Ruthlessly.
Not all friction is good. Be honest: which parts of your product feel like busywork? I redesigned a recruitment app, automating anything that didn't directly solve the user's problem (auto-filling CV details). The friction we kept was only what helped users find the right solution.
Key Principle: Every bit of effort should deliver proportional value. If it doesn't, remove it.
The Perfect Balance
It's not about no effort; it's about the right effort.
Ask yourself:
Are you making users work for features they don't care about?
Are valuable features too forgettable because they're too easy?
Effort as the Secret to Unforgettable Products
I used to chase frictionless perfection in every product I designed. I'd eliminate steps, simplify interfaces, and remove any obstacle in the user's path.
But I was solving the wrong problem.
Beautiful, seamless products aren't enough—they're forgettable. The products people can't live without are the ones that ask for investment and deliver proportional rewards.
Great experiences aren't about making things disappear. They're about crafting moments users must earn—and walk away transformed.
I still believe in intuitive design. But I've stopped chasing "effortless." Because the right kind of effort isn't a bug—it's the feature that builds unbreakable loyalty.
Until our next design adventure,
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