Abstract
While deliberately designing friction in game user interfaces may be a fitting approach for challenging players’ assumptions and encouraging reflection, mainstream practices are often dominated by an overarching paradigm of user-friendliness and enjoyment. This study explores how designers can use intentional friction in the user interfaces of digital games as a strategy to create meaningful experiences and encourage reflection in their players. First, we review literature to frame what constitutes interface elements in game design, the user-friendly and enjoyment paradigm, and other perspectives that offer context to the employment of friction as strategy. Afterwards, we explore game instances that use user interface friction when appropriate as a strategy to express a point of view, challenge current systems, or foment critical reflection. The starting point for our observations is Donald Norman’s seven design principles and Jakob Nielsen’s usability heuristics. As a result, we identify six strategies: 1) explore memory shortcomings; 2) faulty feedback; 3) mismatched mental model; 4) impairment of ability; 5) deliberate inefficiency, and 6) oppressive constraints. Although this work is not focused on collecting all friction design approaches indiscriminately, the identified strategies suggest more nuanced techniques than just framing the principles to create a friendly design in reverse.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
A discontinued user interface for Microsoft Office that aided users via the use of an interactive animated figure that interacted with Office support information. In the English edition, the default helper was named Clippit (often nicknamed Clippy), after a paperclip.
- 2.
Created in the Ludum Dare 37 game jam, which ran from December 9 to December 11, 2016, with the theme ‘One Room’.
- 3.
Created in 2018 Woman Game Jam.
References
Ailin, N.G., Bittencourt, N., Silva, I.: Abluese [Video game]. https://ailin.itch.io/abluese (2018). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Bogost, I.: Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames. MIT Press (2010)
Cardoso, P., Melo, R., Carvalhais, M.: Breaking the hedonistic loop: Meaning before fun in videogames. In: ARTECH 2019: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Digital and Interactive Arts, issue 52, pp. 1–4. Portugal (2019). https://doi.org/10.1145/3359852.3359902
Cox, A.L., Gould, S.J., Cecchinato, M.E., Iacovides, I., Renfree, I.: Design frictions for mindful interactions. In: CHI EA ‘16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1389–1397. USA (2016). https://doi.org/10.1145/2851581.2892410
Csikszentmihalyi, M.: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. HarperCollins (1990)
Everyday Arcade: Bomb the Right Place [Video game]. https://everydayarcade.com/games/bomb-the-right-place (2016). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Federoff, M.A.: Heuristics and usability guidelines for the creation and evaluation of fun in video games. Master’s Thesis, Indiana University Bloomington. CiteSeerX (2002). http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.89.8294
Flanagan, M.: Critical play: Radical Game Design. MIT Press (2013)
Forgas, J.P.: Mood effects on cognition: Affective influences on the content and process of information processing and behavior. In: Emotions and Affect in Human Factors and Human-Computer Interaction, pp. 89–122. Elsevier (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801851-4.00003-3
Fox, T.: Undertale [Video game]. Toby Fox. https://undertale.com (2015)
Frasca, G.: September 12th: A Toy World [Video game]. http://newsgaming.com/newsgames.html (2003)
Frasca, G.: Play the message: Play, game and videogame rhetoric. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, IT University of Copenhagen (2007)
Galloway, A.R.: Gaming: Essays on Algorithmic Culture, vol. 18. University of Minnesota Press (2006)
González Sánchez, J.L., Padilla Zea, N., Gutiérrez, F.L.: From usability to playability: introduction to player-centred video game development process. In: Kurosu, M. (ed.) HCD 2009. LNCS, vol. 5619, pp. 65–74. Springer, Heidelberg (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02806-9_9
GoodbyeWorld Games: Before Your Eyes [Video game]. Skybound Games. https://www.beforeyoureyesgame.com (2021)
Grace, L.D.: Critical games: Critical design in independent games. In: Proceedings of 2014 Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA), USA (2014). https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.2607.3603
Han, B.C.: Sociedade paliativa. Editora Vozes (2021)
Hodent, C.: The Gamer’s Brain. CRC Press (2017)
Kim, B., Liu, H., Joines, S.: Designing for empathy: research expanding aging experience suit for educational purposes. In: Proceeding of IDSA Education Symposium, USA. https://www.idsa.org/designing-empathy (2015)
Kuang, C., Fabricant, R.: User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play. Picador (2020)
Lavallière, M., et al.: Walking a mile in another’s shoes: the impact of wearing an age suit. Gerontol. Geriatr. Educ. 38(2), 171–187 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2015.1079706
Lawhead, N.: Everything Is Going to Be OK [Video game]. AlienMelon. https://alienmelon.itch.io/everything-is-going-to-be-ok (2017). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Lawhead, N.: On UI design & using UI as a means to tell a story, convey emotion, create personality... an in-depth look.... The Candybox Blog. http://www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/on-ui-design-using-ui-as-a-means-to-tell-a-story-convey-emotion-create-personality-an-in-depth-look (2019). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Lidwell, W., Holden, K., Butler, J.: Universal Principles of Design: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design, 2nd edn. Rockport Publishers (2010)
Messner, S.: The sensitive challenge of portraying psychosis in Hellblade. PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/the-sensitive-challenge-of-portraying-psychosis-in-hellblade (2017). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Nielsen, J.: Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. In: CHI ‘94: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Celebrating Interdependence, pp. 152–158. USA (1994). https://doi.org/10.1145/191666.191729
Ninja Theory: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice [Video game]. https://www.hellblade.com (2017)
NNgroup: Video game design and user experience [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mTI1rjQiOE (2021)
Norman, D.:. The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition. Revised edn. Basic Books (2013)
Pope, L.: Papers, Please. [Video game]. 3909 LLC. https://papersplea.se/ (2013)
Purslow, M.: Hellblade’s permadeath bluff is “not as simple as people think”. PCGamesN. https://www.pcgamesn.com/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice/hellblade-permadeath-fake (2018). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Quinn, Z.: Depression Quest [Video game]. The Quinnspiracy. http://www.depressionquest.com (2013). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Schell, J.: The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. CRC Press (2008)
Silva, I., Ailin, Osório, F., Pedro, H., Arlam Júnior: Everyday [Video game]. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124103053/http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-37/?action=preview&uid=90258 (2016). Retrieved 5 May 2022
Simogo: Device 6 [Video game]. Simogo. https://simogo.com/work/device-6 (2013)
Soderman, B.: Against flow: Video games and the flowing subject. The MIT Press (2021)
Tendershoot: Hypnospace Outlaw [Video game]. No More Robots. https://www.hypnospace.net/ (2019)
Walk, W., Görlich, D., Barrett, M.: Design, dynamics, experience (DDE): An advancement of the MDA framework for game design. In: Korn, O., Lee, N. (eds.) Game Dynamics, pp. 27–45. Springer, Cham (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53088-8_3
Wilson, D., Sicart, M.: Now it’s personal: On abusive game design. In: Futureplay ‘10: Proceedings of the International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology, pp. 40–47. Canada (2010). https://doi.org/10.1145/1920778.1920785
Acknowledgments
This paper was funded by the Masters in Multimedia at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Silva, I., Cardoso, P., Giesteira, B. (2023). Strategies of Intentional Friction in the User Interface of Digital Games. In: Martins, N., Brandão, D. (eds) Advances in Design and Digital Communication III. DIGICOM 2022. Springer Series in Design and Innovation , vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20364-0_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20364-0_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-20363-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-20364-0
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)