Friction-maxxing is 2026’s counter-movement to the hyper-convenience era, where AI and tech platforms race to optimise away every minor obstacle. The latest buzzword calls for reintroducing a little resistance — with the promise that our lives and homes will be richer for it.
While 2024 gave us 'brat summer', we saw 'AI slop' dominate the discourse in 2025, and now 2026 is shaping up to be the year of 'friction-maxxing'. Going from Charli xcx’s hedonistic brat summer to more discomfort may not immediately sound appealing, but according to the writer who coined the term, it’s exactly what we need right now.
In her viral column, Kathryn Jezer-Morton argues that tech companies are increasingly 'infantilising' us by offering solutions to anything remotely laborious: use ChatGPT instead of writing a birthday card yourself, get Uber to deliver a meal instead of picking up groceries on the way home, and if you do, use the self-checkout instead of interacting with the stranger behind the till.
The problem, she suggests, is that while these small irritations are a part of the human experience, when we outsource them to technology, we slowly strip away the texture of daily life and with it, much of what makes it meaningful.
This is why we need friction-maxxing: the deliberate choice to do something slightly uncomfortable. This could be, for example, calling a friend to ask for advice instead of typing your troubles into ChatGPT, or inviting people over without making it ‘pop-in ready’ first. If this makes you flinch, that's the point. It's about 'building up tolerance for inconvenience' and rediscovering the satisfaction of doing something that requires effort.
Beyond daring to have a home that isn’t perpetually guest-ready, there are plenty more ways to add friction into to your interiors. Designer Lisa Hensby, a self-confessed fan of the concept, advocates for 'no-plug zones'.
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'I've actually been sneaking this into my designs for years without calling it [friction-maxxing],' she says. 'I once convinced a client to keep their bedroom completely tech-free, and she told me months later it was the best decision she'd ever made.'
The idea of having to leave the room to charge your phone or plug in the hoover may seem like an unnecessary hardship at first, but push past the inconvenience and you'll reap the rewards. 'There's something almost magical about having a space where your phone literally can't distract you,' Lisa muses. 'Your brain just... exhales. It becomes this little sanctuary where you can actually hear yourself think, you know?'
Another deliberate way to create worthwhile effort is to rearrange furniture seasonally. 'It's my secret weapon for keeping homes feeling fresh without spending a penny. I always tell people, your sofa doesn't have a mortgage, it can move,' Lisa jokes. 'Winter might call for cosy, inward-facing conversation zones, while summer wants open flow and connection to your outdoor spaces.'
Thinking about how your home can adapt to different times of the year isn’t just a fun, creative exercise but it can also save you money. Instead of just buying new furniture when you get bored with your interiors (no friction), you put your thinking cap on and reimagine what you already own (considerably more friction).
Apply this mindset to your entire home and watch it transform into a place that rewards you at every corner. Kunal Trehan, design director at Touched Interiors, suggests creating areas that encourage you to slow down rather than getting things done quickly, like a 'dedicated breakfast nook instead of eating on the go, or a beautifully appointed dressing area that makes getting ready feel considered rather than rushed,' he says. ‘When spaces ask a little more of us, they often give more back – a stronger sense of presence, calm and intention.'
It might not appear so at first glance, but friction-maxxing is fundamentally life-affirming. It asks us to actively interact with the world rather than optimising our way out of it. In interiors, as Lisa sharply puts it, 'the "friction" of having to really think about your space keeps you engaged with your home instead of just existing in it on autopilot.' And that, arguably, is the whole point.
