My toilet used to have two flushes. A quick push gave you a short, eco flush. Hold it down and you got the full flush – for, let’s say, more committed situations. Then it broke, the mechanism was replaced, and now it works the other way round.
Now, if I want the full flush, I press and release; but if I want the eco flush, I have to hold the lever down and wait. And if I let go a fraction too early, it defaults to the full flush anyway.
So now, I have to do more work in order to waste less water. Which feels… slightly backwards.
I’ve been thinking about that recently. One of the simplest principles in encouraging any behaviour – whether it’s saving water, booking an event, or signing up for a course – is to make the desired action easier, not harder.
Reduce friction. Don’t add it.
The other week I picked up a leaflet in a local arts centre, for what I assumed was an upcoming theatre production because there was no information on it: no dates, no times, no website, no QR code; nothing to tell me what it was, when it was on, or how to find out more. It turns out it was for a cinema screening that had already passed.
The explanation from the reception desk was simple and understandable: most people Google for details now. Printed materials are more of a prompt than a source of information.
That sort of makes sense. Organisations are trying to manage changing habits, printing costs, and the practicalities of keeping information up to date.
But if I’m already in your building, reading your brochure in your café, how many extra steps should I have to take before I can find out when something is on?
- Pick up my phone.
- Connect to wi-fi.
- Find the website.
- Navigate to the right page.
- Check the date.
Or, as I did, have what felt like a wholly unnecessary conversation with a busy receptionist.
Each step seems small. But each step is still a step.
I wonder that by designing for – often very sensible – operational reasons, there is a danger of not noticing how easily friction creeps in and behaviour starts to drop off.
The toilet still works. The leaflet still looks great.
But the paths of least resistance aren’t quite aligned with the desired outcomes.
If we want people to come to events, book courses, buy tickets, make donations, take action, change their behaviour, then the small details matter.
The right thing should feel like the easy thing.
Sometimes that just means asking:
Where are we making people hold the lever down and wait?
And where could we simply let them press once and move on?
