Friction Budgets
An explicit, named allowance for cognitive load on a single screen — every addition costs budget. The number is a constraint, not a target.
Every page has a finite amount of attention it can demand before users stop looking. The friction budget names that limit and makes it visible. Three decisions per screen, four sections per dashboard, one new concept per page. The number is a constraint, not a target.
When to use it
- Information-dense pages where scope creep is constant.
- Teams that struggle to stop adding features.
When to avoid it
- Pages where the entire point is breadth (catalogues, search results).
Why “budget” is the right word
A budget has the same shape as a financial one: every spend must be justified, every spend competes with every other spend, and once you’re out, you’re out. Naming the limit out loud turns feature additions into a conversation about opportunity cost. “We have two friction-budget slots left on this page — is this feature worth one of them?” The feature that wasn’t worth it will find its home on another surface. The feature that was will earn its place.