This weekend’s Sunday Times identified 'Friction' as one of the defining trends for 2026. In a world that's spent years optimising for one-click purchases and swipe-right convenience, brands are now deliberately making things harder—and more memorable.
"Friction adds memorability," explains Thom Newton, global CEO at Conran Design Group, the design agency founded by Sir Terence Conran in 1957. We're seeing this everywhere: Miu Miu has launched a literary club where members gather to discuss books rather than browse collections. Loewe opened a shop in London that looks more like a bookstore and doubles as a cultural salon. Eatwith the social platform for finding small supper clubs blossoming across London. The Conduit's community dinners, and Carousel's rotating chef residencies—are flourishing. At all these gatherings, phone usage is actively discouraged.
The dating world tells the same story. Digital fatigue has set in hard, and in-person events are booming as singles seek genuine connection over endless swiping.
According to Ricky Hanaumi, clinical director at the US mental health group Quadrant Health, "struggle when it's meaningful, activates the same neural pathways that drive learning, resilience and purpose." This implies building in friction can be a good thing and not just for the Z generation.
So how does this impact schools and their parent communities? The most telling example I see repeatedly is the parent association that exists in name only. They meet twice a year but have no real authority. School staff arrange all the events. The parent committee's job? Promote the school's messages and hopefully recruit attendees for the annual quiz night or carol service.
This creates a passive group of parents who likely have enthusiasm (they volunteered for the committee, after all), experience, and talents the school isn't tapping into.
Large-scale events done to parents rather than with them reinforce this dynamic. It creates a supplier-customer relationship where the school provides and parents consume. Customers are invariably unsatisfied and want more. It prevents the partnership built on mutual trust, where the parent association and volunteers participate in both ideas and implementation. When parents are vested in the community's success, everything changes. School events can create life long memories and friendships. A valuable service that not all schools are optimising.
Here's the critical mistake: schools think they're removing friction for parents by handling all social gatherings. In reality, they're making decision-making more convenient for themselves.
It's the messy interactions with parents that build relationships. For any community to thrive, it needs members running it on behalf of other members. School staff may also be parents, but parents understand each other differently. They need to be the implementers, with the school playing a more limited facilitator role.
People come to school communities to meet people, not to be subjected to more school information and communications. Your newsletter content matters far less than helping families develop meaningful connections with each other. Large events rarely lead to follow-up relationships—that's why more targeted gatherings where real conversations happen and arrangements can extend beyond the school gate matter so much more.
Schools are trying to take the frictionless path for themselves, not for their parents. They're forgetting that community members want to meet each other and form genuine relationships more than they want to read newsletters or follow social media accounts.
So as you plan for 2026, incorporate friction by engaging with parent representatives as true partners. Yes, it's messier. But memories will be made, loyalty will rise, and you'll create many more advocates promoting your school to prospective families.
The smoothest path isn't always the most meaningful one.