friction. without a world

Finally, there is the social side attached to convenience. In eliminating discomfort, we tend to also remove ourselves from human interaction and the discomfort that comes with it. Conversations and physical interaction between humans are an unpredictable source of discomfort that we like to avoid for the sake of convenience. ‘So, we replace physical dates with endless swiping on dating apps, and we are not bothered to use flash delivery to avoid contact with the outside world when we feel our lesser selves.’ This disappearance of social discomfort and the decline of physical contact will cause a gradual shift from human towards non-human emotional interaction. Further increasing the importance of the relationship between people and use.

Looking back at this text, there is an overarching question that best summarises the content of discussion: Where does the added value of increasing convenience stop? In my opinion, userneeds that are visible on the surface sometimes overshadow the real added value of increasing convenience. It is my belief that both the designer and the user need to look more critically at their personal view on the value of convenience and in this manner be more critical when it comes to use. As designers, we will have to move away from the ideal of optimal convenience and thereby embrace the imperfections in the form of resistance that could enrich our lives. 3