Some key aspects in the design of actuators for ultra precision systems will require particular attention as actuators have to comply with ultra precision positioning and related tight specifications. The actuation is an important sub-group within the overall system to be designed. Any design failure in this sub-group will degrade drastically the machine performance. An interface analysis with immediate surrounding sub-groups is important to secure better generation of motion. In this paper, a design procedure for an actuator dedicated to generate high precision motion is presented with a discussion of some important aspects encountered when designing a friction drive. The procedure encompasses design concepts, axis stiffness, control, system dynamics, and, error compensation using a dedicated control strategy compensating for errors. A case study is discussed.