In a world racing toward seamlessness, this article unpacks why humans still need struggle to grow, build confidence, and feel in control. Struggle remains essential because it’s how we develop capability, ownership, and emotional connection – things a perfectly frictionless experience can’t create.

We’re stepping into an era where everything works. Journeys glide and friction disappears – but in our pursuit of smooth perfection, have we gone too far? Have we stripped out the moments that make people feel grounded, invested, and human?

The problem with perfect

The future promises a world where mistakes and challenge are impossible. Our lives are automated – but what if that’s exactly what people are afraid of? A world without friction, learning, or growth?  

TRA’s 'The future we want' research shows a growing unease with hyper-optimised living.  

People fear an AI future that is too safe, where everything works too well, and we lose the satisfaction of working things out or the sense of achievement. People want ease, yes, but not at the cost of progress, engagement, or mastery.

One future tested in our research explored AI-orchestrated learning in the 2030s:  

“In the 2030s there is an evolution in education. AI-orchestrated experiences adapt in real-time to each person's emotional state, energy levels, and learning patterns. Rather than forcing people into rigid schedules and standardised curricula, the system continuously reads biometric data, mood indicators, and engagement signals to dynamically adjust when, where, and how learning happens.”

For some, that sounds like progress.  

“I think a system that is individualised like this could really help me make progress. I like the idea of having a schedule that adapts to my needs rather than being forced into one.”
– Young male

For others, it feels unsettling. Only 38% of New Zealanders and 45% of Australians felt positive about this future. Unsurprisingly, younger generations are more enthusiastic than older ones.  

Education systems are always evolving because the way students absorb information is constantly changing. For some, rigid curricula that rely on memory and testing fit their strengths. Others learn best with visuals or hands-on.  

But others questioned what this means for the ability to problem solve, have agency over decision-making, and the potential equity issues that could arise from the use of such technology.

“I guess the biggest question for me is, this student is being so closely guided by this educational assistant, the question of their free will sort of comes up.”
– Young male

If AI removes the struggle from learning, do we also lose what makes learning meaningful? Does the human get credit or avoid responsibility because AI ‘helped’ them?

The importance of struggle:

Participants voiced that education isn’t only about knowledge, but the quiet satisfaction of progress, of wrestling with an idea until it clicks, of recovering from failure, of earning the right to say “I did that.”  

When learning becomes effortless, students risk losing resilience, self-belief, and the sense of ownership that comes from the work itself.

“The potential issue is that the student isn't really building up any sort of skills in resilience or sort of like trying to get over hurdles that they find extremely challenging.”
– Young male

AI can teach us faster, but if it removes the effort, it also potentially removes growth.  

And that raises an important question for brands and organisations: Is it your role to help people feel progress and growth?
‍

For public service organisations, the answer is almost always yes. Because progress is at the emotional core of trust. When people feel they’ve achieved something, they feel capable and confident – that confidence transfers to how they view the organisation itself.

The same principle applies to brands. When customers feel a sense of progress, they form a deeper emotional connection. It shifts the relationship from “you did it for me” to “you helped me do it.”

So perhaps the goal of experience design isn’t to make everything easy, but to make everything achievable.
‍

The right type of challenge

Progress is important for humans. When everything is too smooth, people disengage. They lose the feeling of progress, contribution, and achievement that can turn a service into a relationship. Challenge and overcoming adversity are ways to create this.  

For organisations, I’m not talking about failure or error in the traditional sense, not broken systems or confusing forms or deliberately creating a moment of pain. I’m talking about tiny stumbles that prompt reflection, support decision-making, and spark discovery – a micro-friction that creates a sense of overcoming a challenge.

'Bad challenge' is friction without purpose; dead ends, delays, confusion, or wasted effort. 'Good challenge' is friction with intention – a deliberate pause that builds anticipation, invites participation, or offers a sense of achievement.

Behavioural science shows that people value things more when they’ve contributed effort to them. This is known as the 'IKEA effect' – the emotional payoff of building something yourself. The same principle applies in learning and work.

And in countries like New Zealand, we know earned success is an integral part of our society.

A good challenge could be:

• A moment of resistance that keeps people engaged during an experience

• A moment where the customer takes an unexpected detour which creates newfound understanding, for example in banking and superannuation

• A design that encourages trial and exploration rather than spoon-feeding

• A feature that rewards curiosity or persistence instead of instant perfection
  

The implication for designers

Whether in classrooms or customer journeys, the role of design isn’t to eliminate challenge – it's to curate it.

Design for progress, not perfection, particularly in long journeys. Apps that celebrate streaks, track small wins, or surface “almost-there” feedback tap into the psychology of growth. They tap into the acknowledgement that we aren’t perfect and the journey to get somewhere isn’t either. But small steps are powerful.

Let customers participate in shaping the outcome, even if it’s not perfect. Make things simple, yes. But not soulless.

Challenges are not design flaws – they are emotional features. Progress builds trust and effort deepens emotion, because sometimes the most human thing a brand or a government agency can do is let people stumble, reflect, and discover for themselves.  

‍