Friction WishPool & Protocol Library · Research · Dai Min

Brief overview

The Friction WishPool is a participatory study and protocol library where neurodivergent participants log places they repeatedly get stuck in tools, workflows and organisations. Each submission is converted into a structured friction record with intensity scores, contextual tags and short descriptions that can feed protocol design, analysis and future tooling.

Instead of treating lived experience as anecdotal "user stories", the project treats it as first‑class methodological material: a continuous stream of ND‑defined friction that can be mapped onto a shared schema and used to develop and test protocol engines.

What the WishPool collects

Participants contribute frictions through a layered intake form that asks:

What happened? – a short description of the sticking point in their own words.
How intense was it? – a simple 1–10 rating.
Where did it occur? – tool, context, relationship or organisational layer.
What does it feel like? – optional tags (e.g. perfectionism, sensory overload, social exhaustion).

Each entry becomes a friction_record in the shared cognitive‑friction schema, with links to tags and follow‑up notes. Over time, recurring patterns suggest where new protocols are needed or existing ones should be refined.

Protocol library as engines

In this research programme, protocols are treated as engines rather than one‑off tips: reusable sequences that can be configured, logged and analysed.

Current core protocols include:

Dimension Reduction Protocol – when perfectionism blocks action, compress an overwhelming project into 3–5 candidate tasks and choose a single first physical action.
Inner Council Protocol – convene internal parts into a structured council for shared decision making on high‑stakes questions.
State Calibration Protocol – briefly check energy, focus and bodily signals to adjust plans to what is realistically and safely doable right now.

Each protocol produces structured outputs (tasks, notes, metrics) that attach to the originating friction record, allowing longitudinal analysis of "which protocol helped which kind of friction for whom".

Schema connection

All WishPool records and protocol runs are designed to map onto the same JSON‑based schema used in the Inner Kingdom System and the NPS Service Experience study.

Entity	Role in this project
`friction_record`	Captures participant‑defined friction episodes.
`c_note`	Stores narratives and reflections over time.
`task_entity`	Holds protocol‑generated tasks and commitments.
`metric_entity`	Tracks before/after intensity, energy, focus, mood.
`tag_entity`	Provides a cross‑cutting taxonomy for analysis.

This alignment makes it possible to compare enterprise‑scale NPS data with ND‑led friction logs and protocol outcomes inside a single Cognitive Friction framework.

How this fits into broader programme

The WishPool provides the methods layer of the Cognitive Friction programme. Its friction_record outputs use the same schema as the NPS study and the Inner Kingdom System, enabling future cross‑study analysis and tooling.