Slippery interactions
Published on 31 Mar 2012
Friction is a term used in user interface design to describe the effort required by a user to undertake some activity. Good UI design tries to reduce friction as much as possible; usually to improve the user experience, but particularly since the advent of Web applications to encourage a user to try an activity and keep them engaged.
We are experimenting on the home page regarding quote requests. Searching for an email address, opening up your email client and typing out a free-form message to ask for a quote can be too much friction for some people, especially when you’re just making an exploratory search for your ideal contractor. By presenting a simple form and inviting the user to request a quote instantly, we hope to encourage more people to get in touch with us, and hopefully acquire more contracts.