Building systems that let friction do the work.
Yes I have written a book and it will be published soon! Register your interest over on Deltastring.
We are forever plodding along the winding paths of frustrating and inefficient systems. We tolerate these bad experiences because they stand between need and outcome. I’m talking about airport security, trying to get through to a person when you call the bank, filling out a job application, the unavoidable processes that seem designed to make us angry. The truth is far worse. They were designed by accident.
The book is about designing with intention. It means thinking about how things happen, not just what they are. It’s about understanding where to deploy friction and how to engineer experiences. Are you trying to cut the corner, or to maintain momentum?
Some processes were designed on purpose. Most just grew step by step, one workaround on top of the last, until the workarounds became the process.
The way things happen is part of the outcome. The hour between deciding to renew a passport and finishing the form is part of having a passport. The minutes between wanting a coffee and drinking one are part of the coffee.
If you’re tired of everything we have to do feeling disjointed and brittle, you’ll enjoy agreeing with me on the diagnosis. If you yourself shape processes the rest of us must navigate, you’ll gain a great reference of examples and counterexamples perfect for justifying whatever it is you wanted to do anyway.
By the end, will you be able to walk into a shop, a meeting, a restaurant, or a waiting room without questioning everything? “Was this designed on purpose? Is there a reason this seems to make no sense?”
Trackside.
A lot of this thinking grew out of running Deltastring, where I spend my weekdays working out why systems aren’t doing what they should. But it’s broader than work. It’s how I look at race tracks, art installations, instruments, kitchens, the route my son takes to school. Once you start seeing the layers it’s hard to stop.
I think this is really great and you’ll love it too. Be in the loop here.
