Designing for Friction: The Ultimate Anti-Strategy

Somewhere in the world, a product team is sitting around a conference table asking:
“How can we make this easier for the user?”
And somewhere else… someone seems to be asking:
“How can we make this shittier?

I’m a sucker for a great ad (think Dollar Shave Club or Meat & Livestock Australia), and this extended spot from the Norwegian Consumer Council absolutely nails it.

Their concept: a fictional team whose mission is simple: “Make It Shitty.” Add friction. Hide buttons. Create confusion. Add one more step

It’s funny because it exaggerates something we’ve all experienced as consumers: digital products that feel like they were designed without the user in mind.
The smartest campaigns often do one thing extremely well:
They name the truth people already feel. Humor just makes it land harder.

And as someone who spends a lot of time helping companies clarify their strategy, brand, and customer experience, I’m always reminded of this: Great strategy isn’t just about what you build.

It’s about removing friction between what you intend and what people actually experience.
Bravo to the Norwegian Consumer Council for a campaign that’s both hilarious and painfully accurate.

Also… I had to pause the last frame, find the URL, and run it through a translator to figure out what the campaign was for. Which made me laugh because… they kind of made it shitty.

https://lnkd.in/eTT2E7m8