What Is Friction Mapping?

Friction mapping is a discovery method for understanding how work actually moves through a process and where avoidable drag appears.

It starts with current-state work: what enters the process, who touches it, what systems are involved, what changes, what leaves, and where work slows down or loses context.

What It Is Not

A friction map is not:

• a future-state design
• a blame document
• a software architecture diagram
• a recommendation list
• an AI opportunity hunt

Why This Distinction Matters

When people see friction, they often want to fix it immediately. That instinct is understandable, but it can lead to weak recommendations.

Friction mapping asks learners to slow down. First understand the work. Then decide what should be improved, protected, validated, or left alone.

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Source: modules/friction-mapping-understanding-work-before-recommending-solutions/sections/01-what-is-friction-mapping.md