Beyond Friction: Making Technology Feel Natural

After 10+ years in product development, I've become fascinated by a simple truth: the best technology is the kind you don't notice. My journey into this started with medical device engineering, where the stakes for seamless integration between human and technology couldn't be higher. When a patient needs to monitor their glucose levels or a doctor needs to access vital diagnostics, every moment of friction isn't just an inconvenience – it's a barrier to better health outcomes. This early experience taught me that great technology doesn't just solve problems; it becomes a natural extension of human capability.

The Invisible Element

When something works perfectly, it becomes invisible. In medical devices, this meant creating glucose monitors that didn't just collect data but integrated smoothly into a patient's daily life. You don't think about the process; you're just living your life while getting the insights you need. This principle of invisible technology has guided my approach to product development ever since.

I experienced this principle again at Nodal, where we faced a different kind of challenge with our screening platform. Users weren't getting stuck because they couldn't understand what to do - they were getting stuck because the process didn't feel natural. The key wasn't making things faster; it was making them feel more natural.

Embracing New Frontiers

Here's something fascinating about humans: we're incredibly adaptable. While reducing friction often means aligning with existing behaviors, sometimes revolutionary technology requires us to learn new ones. Take the Apple Vision Pro – it introduces entirely new ways of interacting with technology, yet it's designed to feel intuitive and natural despite its novelty.

This reveals an important truth about friction reduction: it's not just about making things easier based on what people already know. It's about understanding human cognitive patterns so deeply that even when we introduce new behaviors, they feel like natural extensions of how we think and move.

The best products find this balance. They reduce friction in familiar tasks while making new capabilities feel like second nature. Whether it's a medical device that becomes part of a patient's daily routine or an AI tool that seamlessly enhances our work, the goal remains the same: make technology feel less like technology and more like a natural part of human experience.

Looking Beyond Friction

The deeper I get into product development, the more I realize that reducing friction isn't just about streamlining processes. It's about understanding human behavior and creating experiences that align with how we naturally think, adapt, and grow. Whether I'm working on my plant-based food brand or designing digital platforms, the question is always the same: how can we make this feel more natural while pushing the boundaries of what's possible?

I'm curious about your experiences. When was the last time you encountered technology that felt completely natural, even though it was unlike anything you'd used before? What made it click for you? As our digital worlds become more complex and AI becomes more integrated into our daily lives, this balance between innovation and natural interaction becomes increasingly critical.

What are your thoughts on reducing friction in technology while advancing its capabilities? I'd love to hear about your experiences and insights.

Achieving Optimal Health Through Medical Devices

Is it possible to achieve optimal health through medical devices? Let’s dive in…

The OPA (Office of Population Affairs) defines optimal health as:

“Optimal health is a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health…Lifestyle change can be facilitated through a combination of learning experiences that enhance awareness, increase motivation, and build skills and, most important, through the creation of opportunities that open access to environments that make positive health practices the easiest choice.” It is a holistic focus with the aim of attaining the best possible health outcomes by promoting healthier behaviors and not merely the absence of disease. 1

This approach focuses on attaining the best possible health outcomes by promoting healthier behaviors, rather than merely the absence of disease.

From a holistic medicine perspective, achieving optimal health involves considering the whole person—body, mind, spirit, and emotions. A holistic doctor may incorporate a variety of care forms, from conventional medicine to alternative therapies, to support the patient’s well-being. In short, optimal health is a state of being achieved through a well-rounded approach that goes beyond addressing disease alone.

What is a medical device?

Next let’s look at the definition of a medical device according to the FDA. Section 201(h) of the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) defines a medical device as:

An instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including a component part or accessory which is: recognized in the official National Formulary, or the United States Pharmacopoeia, or any supplement to them, intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals, or intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals.

This definition emphasizes disease prevention or mitigation but doesn’t necessarily address the broader aim of boosting overall health and wellness.

Medical Devices and Holistic Health

Despite the definition, there’s been a surge in medical and consumer devices designed to help us proactively manage our health, not just to prevent disease but to promote overall well-being. However, from a holistic standpoint, most devices target only physical health, with some newer innovations beginning to monitor mental and emotional states. Still, there seems to be little focus on addressing the spiritual aspect, which some believe is where illness originates.

“Dr. Joe Dispenza believes that many of us are living in a state of constant anxiety. The fight-or-flight responses that evolution has hard-wired into our brains cause us to be constantly on alert — and that negative mode of thinking triggers genes that can cause all kinds of problems from panic attacks to cancer.” - Lewis Howe podcast

I resonate with this viewpoint. Achieving optimal health solely through mental work, like meditation or mindfulness, is possible, but it requires immense dedication. For most of us, medical and consumer devices, along with healthcare providers, play a crucial role in supporting our journey toward better health.

So, Can We Achieve Optimal Health Through Devices?

This brings us back to the original question. While devices can certainly save lives, improve health, and monitor our progress, they are only part of the solution. True optimal health is achieved through a holistic approach, integrating various modalities that work together.

Ultimately, the greatest barriers to optimal health are not the devices themselves but the systemic issues in our healthcare policies and societal beliefs about wellness. Yet, as mindsets shift and new technologies emerge, I remain hopeful that we’ll continue moving toward a more proactive, supportive approach to health.

Until that day, I’m excited to see the innovations that help us take small steps closer to a more balanced, optimal state of health.

1. https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/optimal-health-model-overview.pdf