Specification Friction is the cumulative weight of technical, logistical, and cognitive hurdles an architect or specifier encounters when attempting to embed a product into their design. In the boardroom, this is often discussed as Selection Resistance, but for the architect at their desk, it is experienced as a heavy Cognitive Spec-Load—the mental tax paid for choosing your product over a simpler, albeit inferior, alternative.
The Structural Mechanism #
In a perfect world, architects would select products based on pure performance metrics. In reality, they are overstretched humans who are often one poorly formatted PDF away from a minor breakdown. When a manufacturer asks a specifier to hunt for a CAD drawing or navigate a broken website, they are introducing Transactional Friction. This is the “grit in the gears” of communication that turns a simple selection into a chore.
From a behavioural perspective, humans have a sophisticated allergy to unnecessary effort. When faced with friction, the brain defaults to the “Path of Least Resistance.” If Brand A has a marginally better U-value but Brand B provides an architect-ready specification clause that can be copied and pasted in seconds, Brand B wins. This isn’t a failure of logic; it’s a triumph of biological energy conservation.
Real-World Applications #
- The Digital Moat: A facade manufacturer hides their BIM (Building Information Modelling) files behind a complex registration form and a 24-hour approval process. This creates immense Transactional Friction. The architect, working at 8:00 PM to hit a deadline, cannot wait until tomorrow. They specify a competitor whose files are available with a single click.
- The Incoherent CPD: A flooring manufacturer delivers a presentation filled with 40 slides of corporate history before reaching the fire-rating data. This increases the Cognitive Spec-Load. The architect has to sift through “marketing gloss” to find the evidence they need. The result? They don’t reject the product because it’s bad; they reject it because the experience of learning about it feels like lifting wet cardboard.
- The Ambiguous Data Sheet: When a manufacturer fails to provide clear “limitations of use,” they create uncertainty. This is a form of Selection Resistance rooted in risk. The architect, fearing future liability, will choose a “trusted” brand with lower performance but clearer boundaries, prioritising their own peace of mind over your product’s marginal gains.
FRAKT Insight: You can have the most innovative product in the category, but if your technical narrative is friction-heavy, you are essentially asking the architect to work for you for free. The goal is not just to be the best choice, but the easiest choice to be right about.
