Glossary

Habit friction

Habit friction is the small cost that makes doing or recording a habit feel heavier than it needs to be.

What it means

In Spoke's context, friction often appears in the logging flow: too many taps, too much delay, or too much uncertainty.

Why it matters

Even tiny workflow costs can compound until the user starts delaying the log or avoiding the tracker entirely.

Hydration is a useful example

Repeated habits like water intake expose friction quickly because each moment feels too small to deserve a heavy workflow. If logging a glass of water already feels annoying, the system is probably asking too much from the user.

Common confusion

Friction is not only about how hard the habit is. It is also about how hard the record is to maintain.

Read next

Go deeper with How to track habits without friction, Hydration, and Why water tracking breaks down.