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A Dutch traffic engineer took the lights out of a junction carrying 22,000 cars a day. Crashes fell. “When there’s a problem with a road, traffic engineers always try to add something.” A devastating assessment of several other professions I could name. sharonodea.com/2026/10/20/w...

sharonodea.comWeeknote 2026/42: Just the right amount of frictionWhy good design isn’t frictionless: Dutch traffic engineering, browser warnings, and a week at home in Amsterdam. Plus Japanese garage metal and a 50th.

20/10/26, 7:55 am0 reposts5 likes

Rudolph Moncrieff

@rudolph14.bsky.social

I love this in part because the tech bros are obsessed with removing all friction from everything, and fuck that. I think it was Tressie McMillan Cottom said "friction is human interaction" and I love that also.

Sharon O'Dea

@sharonodea.com

100% that. Every simple prompt is a question that wasn’t asked of a friend or colleague. And the purpose of questions isn’t simply to obtain answers, but to build relationships.

Rudolph Moncrieff

@rudolph14.bsky.social

Indeed, and we can see the impact of over-applying technology to our lives in the increased isolation of individuals. It's unhealthy and ultimately unhelpful. Always reminded of that classic philosophy question: "Does technology create more problems than it solves".

Eoin Meehan 🇮🇪🇪🇺 オーエン

@etm.bsky.social

I read that Monderman also ran an experiment in a town where he removed ALL traffic signage and road markings and everyone drives and walks REALLY carefully.