UX Friction Analyzer

A comprehensive skill for analyzing and optimizing user experience through cognitive psychology, ADHD-friendly design, and flow state engineering.

Activation

Use this skill when:

Designing new interfaces or user flows
Auditing existing UX for friction points
Optimizing for neurodivergent users (ADHD, autism)
Simulating user journeys before building
Reducing cognitive load in complex applications

Trigger phrases: "analyze UX", "friction audit", "user journey", "ADHD-friendly", "optimize flow", "reduce cognitive load"

Core Frameworks

1. ADHD-Friendly Design Principles

Apply these patterns to ALL interfaces:

Principle	Implementation	Why It Matters
Progressive Disclosure	Show one task at a time; hide future steps	Prevents overwhelm, maintains focus
Context Preservation	Auto-save every keystroke; never lose work	Reduces anxiety about losing progress
Gentle Reminders	Status updates, not alarms; no red urgency	Avoids panic, maintains calm
Pause & Resume	Session state persists across days/weeks	Respects inconsistent schedules
Minimal Distractions	Single focus area; dim non-active panels	Reduces competing stimuli
Chunked Progress	Visual cards/steps, not endless scrolling	Creates completion dopamine hits
Predictable Navigation	Same layout always; no surprises	Reduces reorientation cost
Calm Mode Option	Reduced animations, muted colors on demand	Accommodates sensory sensitivity

2. Gestalt Psychology

Apply these perception principles:

PROXIMITY
─────────
Elements close together = perceived as related
White space creates natural boundaries

┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐
│ Related │  │ Related │     │ Other   │  │ Other   │
│ Item A  │  │ Item B  │     │ Group A │  │ Group B │
└─────────┘  └─────────┘     └─────────┘  └─────────┘
     ↑ CLOSE = GROUPED            ↑ SEPARATE = DISTINCT

SIMILARITY
──────────
Same color/shape/size = perceived as related function

┌──────┐  ┌──────┐  ┌──────┐     ┌──────┐  ┌──────┐
│ BLUE │  │ BLUE │  │ BLUE │     │ CORAL│  │ CORAL│
│ Save │  │ Copy │  │ Edit │     │ Del  │  │ Clear│
└──────┘  └──────┘  └──────┘     └──────┘  └──────┘
     ↑ SAME = Related actions         ↑ DIFFERENT = Destructive

CONTINUITY
──────────
Eye follows lines/paths naturally

Step 1 ──→ Step 2 ──→ Step 3 ──→ Complete
   ●──────────●──────────●──────────●

CLOSURE
───────
Brain completes incomplete shapes
Use for progress indicators, loading states

[ ████████░░░░░░░░ ] 50% - brain "sees" the end

3. Cognitive Load Theory

Three types of mental load to manage:

Type	Definition	Strategy
Intrinsic	Task complexity itself	Can't eliminate; acknowledge it
Extraneous	Poor design adding effort	ELIMINATE THIS - your job
Germane	Learning/understanding	Minimize for repeat users

Working Memory Limits:

7±2 items maximum (Miller's Law)
4 chunks optimal for complex tasks
Micro-breaks every 25 minutes

Reduce Extraneous Load By:

Removing unnecessary choices
Using recognition over recall
Providing smart defaults
Eliminating decorative elements that don't inform

4. Fitts' Law

Time to acquire target = f(Distance / Size)

IMPLICATIONS FOR BUTTONS:
─────────────────────────

  ┌───────────────────┐          vs          ┌──┐
  │     GENERATE      │                      │Go│
  │                   │                      └──┘
  └───────────────────┘
         ↑                                     ↑
  44px+ touch target                   Hard to hit
  Easy to acquire                      Frustrating

MINIMUM SIZES:
- iOS: 44x44 CSS pixels
- Android: 48x48 CSS pixels
- Desktop: 32x32 minimum, 44x44 preferred

EDGE TARGETS ARE INFINITE:
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ ■ LOGO                                    MENU ■   │
  │                                                     │
  │   Screen edges = can't overshoot                   │
  │   Place critical actions at corners/edges          │
  │                                                     │
  │ ■ HELP                                  EXPORT ■   │
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

ICON + LABEL > ICON ALONE:
- Larger target area
- Reduced ambiguity
- Faster acquisition

5. Flow State Engineering

Key Metrics:

15-25 minutes to enter flow state
23 minutes to recover from interruption
40% productivity loss with frequent interruptions
Only 41% of work time spent in flow (McKinsey)

Flow Conditions:

Clear goals for the current task
Immediate feedback on actions
Balance between challenge and skill
No anxiety about failure

Preserve Flow By:

Background processing (don't block UI)
Push notifications when ready (bring user back faster)
Quick re-orientation panels after breaks
Auto-save eliminating "save anxiety"
Undo everything (confidence to experiment)

Analysis Methodology

Step 1: Create Decision Tree

Map every user path with probabilities:

                    ┌─────────────┐
                    │ USER LANDS  │
                    └──────┬──────┘
                           │
           ┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
           ▼               ▼               ▼
     ┌──────────┐   ┌──────────┐   ┌──────────┐
     │ Action A │   │ Action B │   │ Action C │
     │  (40%)   │   │  (45%)   │   │  (15%)   │
     └────┬─────┘   └────┬─────┘   └────┬─────┘
          │              │              │
          ▼              ▼              ▼
        [Next]         [Next]         [Next]

For each edge, record:

Probability (%)
Friction score (1-10)
Time to complete (seconds/minutes)
Cognitive load (low/medium/high)

Step 2: Simulate User Journeys

Create detailed simulations for each persona:

Template:

TIME    ACTION                           COGNITIVE STATE           FRICTION
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
0:00    [User action]                    [Mental state]            Low/Med/High
        └─ [System response or UI shown]

0:15    [Next action]                    [How they feel]           Low/Med/High
        └─ [What happens]
        └─ PROBLEM: [Friction point if any]

...continue...
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL TIME: X minutes
FRICTION POINTS: N (list them)
ABANDONMENT RISKS: N (critical moments)
DELIGHT MOMENTS: N (positive surprises)

Personas to simulate:

Expert User - Knows the system, moving fast
New User - First time, needs guidance
Distracted User - Context switching, interruptions
Explorer - No goal, seeing what's possible
Completer - Trying to finish, hitting obstacles

Step 3: Friction Analysis Matrix

Quantify and prioritize:

Friction Point	Users Affected	Severity (1-10)	Fix Difficulty	Priority Score
[Issue 1]	X%	N	Easy/Med/Hard	HIGH/MED/LOW
[Issue 2]	X%	N	Easy/Med/Hard	HIGH/MED/LOW

Priority Formula:

Priority = (Users Affected × Severity) / Fix Difficulty

Step 4: Impedance Mapping

Compare current vs ideal:

TASK                          CURRENT IMPEDANCE     IDEAL IMPEDANCE
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Task 1]                      Low (X sec)           ✓ Optimal
[Task 2]                      Medium (X sec)        Could be Y sec
[Task 3]                      HIGH (X min)          Should be Y sec

Step 5: Time-Loss Analysis

Calculate context switch costs:

Action                        Frequency    Time Lost Each    Total Impact
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Interruption type 1]         X/session    Y min             Z min
[Interruption type 2]         X/session    Y min             Z min
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL CONTEXT SWITCH LOSS                                    Z min/session

Optimization Patterns

Immediate Fixes (Low Effort, High Impact)

Giant CTA on Landing

<button class="cta" style="min-height: 60px; min-width: 200px;">
  Primary Action
  <span class="subtext">Supporting text</span>
</button>

Visible Edit Affordances
- Show pencil/edit icons by default, not just on hover
- Add tooltips: "Click to edit"
Auto-Fill Prompts
- After user completes 1 item manually, offer to auto-complete rest
- "Want me to fill in the remaining X items?"
Floating Action Buttons
- Critical actions always visible (not buried in menus)
- Bottom-right for mobile thumb zone
Progress Indicators
- Show "Step X of Y" always
- Visual progress bar at top

Medium-Term Improvements

Re-Orientation Panels

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Welcome back! Here's where you left off:  │
│                                            │
│  ✓ Step 1: Complete                        │
│  → Step 2: In progress (60%)               │
│  ○ Step 3: Not started                     │
│                                            │
│  [Continue where I left off]               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Keyboard Shortcuts
- Number keys for mode switching (1, 2, 3...)
- Cmd+Enter for primary action
- Escape for cancel/close
Background Processing
- Never block UI for long operations
- Show progress, allow user to continue
- Push notification when complete
Smart Defaults
- Pre-fill based on user history
- Remember last-used settings
- Suggest most common option first

Long-Term Vision

Predictive UI
- Anticipate next action based on patterns
- Pre-load likely next screens
- Suggest before user asks
Personalized Complexity
- Simple mode for new users
- Power user mode unlocks over time
- User controls their complexity level
Accessibility Suite
- High contrast mode
- Reduced motion option
- Screen reader optimization
- Keyboard-only navigation

Checklist for New Features

Before shipping any feature, verify:

Cognitive Load

Can user complete with ≤4 things in working memory?
Are there unnecessary choices that could be defaults?
Is recognition used instead of recall?

ADHD-Friendly

Can user pause and resume without losing context?
Are there gentle progress indicators (not anxiety-inducing)?
Is the interface calm (not visually noisy)?

Fitts' Law

Are primary buttons ≥44px tall?
Are destructive actions away from common paths?
Do buttons have labels, not just icons?

Flow Preservation

Does any action block the UI for >2 seconds?
Can long operations run in background?
Is there a clear "done" state?

Error Recovery

Can every action be undone?
Are error messages actionable (not just "Error")?
Is auto-save enabled?

Example Analysis Output

When running this skill, produce a document with:

Executive Summary - Key findings in 3 bullets
Decision Tree - All user paths with probabilities
User Journey Simulations - 3-5 personas, full timeline
Friction Matrix - Prioritized issues table
Optimization Recommendations - Immediate/Medium/Long-term
Implementation Checklist - Specific changes to make

Integration Points

web-design-expert: Implement UX recommendations visually
adhd-design-expert: Deep neurodivergent design patterns
frontend-developer: Technical implementation of fixes
diagramming-expert: Create user flow diagrams

Sources

Core Philosophy: Every click, every second of confusion, every moment of "where am I?" is friction stealing from your users. Design for the distracted, optimize for the overwhelmed, and everyone benefits.

ux-friction-analyzer