Friction Fuel Map

A quick map that shows why people don’t move (friction) and what would push them forward (fuel).

• Purpose: Take audit insights and prioritise what to fix and how to fix it.

• Focus:

  • Listing friction (stopping forces).

  • Brainstorming & selecting fuel (starting forces).

  • Scoring impact (on behaviour) and ease (to fix).

  • Spotting quick wins.

  • Designing first tests / experiments.

• Outcome: A prioritised action plan. “Here’s what we’ll remove / add to shift behaviour.”

• Use when: With or after the Behaviour Audit.
  

This is the treatment plan after the exam.

Why a friction fuel map is useful

Great ideas fail because unseen behavioural barriers block them. Map the frictions, match them with fuels, and every later design decision clicks into place.

STEPS

1 | Setup

Step 1: Fill the Scoping Card

Everyone should picture the same user, moment, and metric.
Take time to align before you begin.

• Who are we auditing?

• Which slice of the journey?

• What is the success metric?

Step 2: Build the Mini Journey Sheet

Create one row for each step. Do not fill it out at this point. Just set up the sheet ready for the audit:

1. Intention. What the person wants to achieve (e.g., “pick item fast”).

2. Trigger. The cue that starts the behaviour (scanner beep, email ping).

3. Thought. The split‑second judgment (“Is this right?” “Can I skip?”).

4. Action. What they actually do (scan, click, ask a peer).

5. Outcome. What happens next (item logged, error shown, nothing).

Tip: Fill out one row with a common activity the team does to get used to the setup.
E.g., making a pre-meeting coffee.

2 | Audit

Step 1: Set the Target Behaviour

1. Draft the sentence

   “We want [who] to [do what] in [moment] so that [business result].”
   Example: “We want warehouse pickers to scan every box during night shifts so that we hit 100 % stock accuracy.”

2. Pressure‑test it

   • Ask, “Could two strangers picture the same action?”

   • Use verbs you can see or hear.

3. Lock it in

   • Read it aloud as a team.

   • No one edits? Glue it to the top of every doc.

Step 2: Map the Behaviour Sequence

1. Build the Mini Journey Sheet
   Create five columns: Intention → Trigger → Thought → Action → Outcome.
   Leave ten blank rows.

2. Walk the real journey

   • Shadow one user. Fill row 1 live.

   • Note tiny thoughts (“Is this file outdated?”).

3. Fill more rows

   • Replay analytics, support logs, interview clips.

   • Each variant gets its own row.

4. Spot the biggest drop‑off

   • Circle the step where most journeys die.

   • Mark it “Break Point”.

Step 3: Scan the Context

Use four lenses. For each, ask the question, jot one insight, and link it to the Mini Journey Sheet.
A sign you have done this well is you can answer:
“In this context, the user is more/less likely to act because [lens insight].”

Step 1: Restate the Target Behaviour

1. Write the behaviour sentence where all can see:

   “We want [who] to [do what] in [moment] so that [result].”

2. Read it aloud. Ask, “Can two strangers picture the same action?”

3. Remove jargon until the answer is “Yes.”

Step 2: Capture Raw Friction

1. Silent note‑dump (5 min).

   • One barrier per sticky.

   • Use four prompts to spark ideas:

     • Individual: feelings, fears, habits.

     • Social: peers, managers, norms.

     • Physical: space, tools, UI.

     • System: rules, targets, workflows.

2. Quick share‑out (5 min). Read each note; no debate yet.

3. Initial evidence tag (5 min). Mark each note:

   • A = assumption, B = one source, C = two sources. If A, underline it.

Step 3: Cluster & Name Barrier Themes

1. Group similar notes by moving them together.

2. Give each cluster a short, clear label (e.g., “Copy Confusion” or “Peer Disapproval”).

3. Photograph or screenshot the clustered board.

Tip: If a note fits two clusters, duplicate it so context is not lost.

Step 4: Score Impact & Pick the Big Three

1. Explain the Impact scale aloud:

   • 1 = mild drag (users still succeed)

   • 3 = noticeable slowdown or extra cost

   • 5 = behaviour stops or reverses

2. Give each participant three dots (or digital votes).

3. Vote silently on the clusters. Sum the dots.

4. Circle the three clusters with the highest totals.

Step 5: Flip Friction into Fuel

For each of the Big Three:

1. Read the barrier label + a real example found in evidence.

2. Ask aloud:

   • “How could we make this easier?”

   • “How could we make it faster?”

   • “How could we make it safer?”

   • “How could we make it more rewarding?”

3. Browse the Driver Idea Bank (Progress bar, Default option, Peer kudos, Instant feedback…).

4. Write each driver as verb + noun: “Show progress bar”, “Offer practice mode”.

5. Run the Ethics check: “Would I feel tricked by this in six months?”

   • If yes, revise or discard.

Step 6: Score Ease & Spot Quick Wins

1. Explain the Ease scale:

   • 1 = Can ship today (copy, toggle).

   • 3 = Small sprint, limited sign‑off.

   • 5 = Needs budget or policy change.

2. Give each driver an ease score.

3. Draw a quick Impact × Ease grid on the board: high/low axes.

4. Place each barrier‑driver pair on the grid.

5. Highlight any pair in high‑impact / low‑ease zone, these are Quick Wins.

Step 7: Design First Experiments

For every Quick Win pair:

1. Fill the Experiment line on the sheet:

   • Hypothesis: If we [driver], [metric] will improve.

   • Variant: A vs B (or before/after).

   • Metric: choose a leading indicator you can see in ≤ 14 days.

   • Run length: usually 7–14 days.

2. Confirm the metric exists in your analytics or can be captured quickly.

3. Note any dependency (design tweak, email copy, dev time).

Resources

Friction-Fuel Word List

Use these words in your discussions

• Effort - clicks, steps, physical strain

• Time - delays, wait, speed

• Risk - money, status, social face

• Clarity - instructions, feedback, certainty

• Reward - payoff, progress, pleasure

• Social - approval, norms, expectation

• Identity - “people like me do this”

• Ease - automation, shortcuts, defaults

• Trust - security, transparency, reliability

Common questions:

• “What counts as a behaviour?”
  Anything observable that moves (or blocks) the goal: clicks, steps, words, choices, delays.

• “How deep do we go?”
  Deep enough to see motives, moments, and friction. Shallow audits hide the truth.

• “Do we need new data or can we repurpose analytics?”
  Use what exists, but assume gaps. Qual + quant together tell the real story.

• “How long should an audit take?”
  2–4 weeks for a solid mid‑size product. You CAN do this in a 1 hour block, but only if you have a strong understanding of the challenge you face and want shallower insights. Longer ≠ better.

• “Who should run it?”
  Cross‑functional pair: a behaviour lead + a domain insider.
  Outsiders see blind spots; insiders know context.

Other tools you'll find useful: