Forces of Change
The Habit Barrier
The threshold of habit strength that a product must overcome to become the user's default solution for a job.
The habit barrier is the point at which a new behavior becomes automatic enough to replace an old behavior. Before the habit barrier, the user must consciously choose the product every time. After the habit barrier, the product is the default, and switching to an alternative requires conscious effort. The habit barrier is not about frequency of use; it is about automaticity. A user might use a product daily but still consciously decide each time. The habit barrier is crossed when the product is the path of least resistance, not just the preferred path.