#prototype.

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Day 10

Finally making the prototype.

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Pac Div- Fallin'

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Alignment vs. Friction

I've been thinking about the amount friction within my product. I have gone to great lengths to design an experience that makes the savings process as friction-less as possible without automating it all together. My conversations with both Charles and Allan this past week have me revisiting the idea, however, and examining the advantages and disadvantages of adding or subtracting friction from the savings process.

The friction filled point that I am talking about is, again, the payment action. Allan saw this repeated action as adding friction in a positive way - causing users to slow down a purchase (or contribution) decision and be actively involved in the process of helping someone achieve their savings goal. The reminder not only lets them actively participate financially, but gives them a definite time and place to check up, support, input, and suggest other ways that someone could reach their goal. It gives the "saver" constant and immediate feedback as to what people think about their goals and the ability to change them if their friends think there is a better, faster, cheaper, or alternative way to reach them. 

Charles thinks that the payment action (as easy as it is) is still too much friction over time and that people will not want to bother with the daily action or the notifications that will come with it. These things in combination will become burdensome and actually heighten the amount of friction in the experience even more, causing people to not engage. He suggested that it become automated so that people don't have to think about it at all.

I see the benefit to both arguments. The notification fatigue was one that I was actually really worried about in my prototype, but didn't get a chance to test its limits because 1) my prototype was not long enough, and 2) people knew they weren't saving for their entire goal, so could deal with the notifications. (That said, most participants responded positively to daily notifications for just over 3 weeks.)

I actually see great value in Charles' insight, and the major problem I have with automating the contribution action is that there would be no engagement around the most important interaction and decision of the entire experience. The lack of responsibility around financial behaviors (even positive ones) is a problem I hoped to address. I am now realizing that in the execution phase of my project, that this goal is at odds with another goal I had of encouraging sustainable financial behaviors.

I go back to the idea of "alignment"- to have alignment with the goal of "sustainability" would suggest that I need to automate the payment action. Reduce friction. However, to align with the goal of "responsibility", it seems that I would need to keep it as a conscious action. Add (a litte) friction. So now the real question becomes what are my priorities? How can I refocus my goals or refine the user experience into a more cohesive execution? I have some ideas. Time will tell whether they are good ones. Stay tuned.

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