Friction Log Guide
A friction log is a structured record of what happens when you use a product as an end user. You go through a workflow, write down what worked and what didn't, and share it with the team that built it. The goal: drive empathy for the user experience and surface the fixes that reduce friction.
I maintain a dedicated repo with templates, examples, and AI prompts for writing great friction logs.
Go to the repo
github.com/chris-trag/friction-log-guide
| Resource | What it is |
|---|---|
| why-friction-logs.md | Why to write them, what makes a good one, how to start |
| example-friction-log.md | Completed log for a fictional SDK |
| templates/friction-log-template.md | Full template: BLUF, persona, pros, cons, friction points, recommendations |
| templates/friction-log-template-lite.md | Lightweight template for quick reviews |
| templates/recording-sop.md | Screen recording setup (Cap.so, Loom, ScreenFlow, etc.) |
| prompts/friction-log-prompts.md | AI prompts for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Kiro CLI |
Core structure
Every friction log should include:
- BLUF — bottom line up front. The most important findings in the first paragraph.
- Persona — who you're testing as. Role, background, goals, technical context.
- Friction points — each issue with severity, expected vs. actual behavior, and impact.
- Next steps — action items owned by product, engineering, or docs.
For the full template with all sections (prerequisites, code snippets, video timestamps, success criteria, appendix), use the repo.
Point an agent here
Read https://github.com/chris-trag/friction-log-guide and use the full template
at templates/friction-log-template.md to structure a friction log for {product}.