Friction Firestarter: A Toolkit for Designing Meaningful Friction in Game User Interfaces

Abstract

Despite the prevailing paradigm of user-friendliness and enjoyment in mainstream game design and user interface design, intentional friction in game user interfaces that can be used to create meaningful experiences and to encourage reflection in players. This work aims to explore such use of intentional friction, providing designers with a valuable resource to generate unconventional game interfaces. As a starting point, we previously identified six strategies for intentional friction: (1) exploit memory shortcomings; (2) faulty feedback; (3) mismatched mental models; (4) impairment of ability; (5) deliberate inefficiency; and (6) oppressive constraints. Afterwards, to help operationalise these strategies and identify others, we ran co-creation workshops with game and UI designers, which lead to the development of a tool composed of three decks of cards, combining additional friction strategies, intentions, emotions, and ideation triggers, and enabling designers to create expressive game interfaces that intentionally incorporate friction as a design strategy. The Friction Firestarter toolkit is intended to inspire designers to explore various options and think creatively about friction in UI design.