Pattern 42
Reminders under user control
Give people authority over timing, frequency and pauses.
Concrete takeaway
Let users opt into a stated purpose, choose timing and frequency, set quiet periods and pause easily.
Choose an approach
These are editorial decision conditions to validate. Some alternatives are successive states or can be combined; they are not always exclusive choices.
| Alternative | Use when | Tradeoff or requirement |
|---|---|---|
| A · Explicit setup | A reminder supports a chosen plan | Set timing and frequency explicitly |
| B · Pause or adjust | The reminder no longer fits | Pause and cancellation must be easy to find |
| C · Private wording | A device may reveal notification text | Neutral wording still does not guarantee privacy |
The problem
A helpful reminder can become pressure when it ignores life context or uses spiritual guilt to prompt a return.
The pattern
Let users opt into a stated purpose, choose timing and frequency, set quiet periods and pause easily. Use neutral wording and avoid inferred emotional or religious targeting.
Compare the alternatives
Give people authority over timing, frequency and pauses.
A · Explicit setup
A reminder has a chosen purpose and rhythm.
B · Pause or adjust
Changing a reminder is straightforward.
C · Private wording
A notification does not expose sensitive content.
Original wireframe proposals · No live controls · Grey rows represent schematic text, not loading states · Labelled placeholders are not Scripture quotations
Download this wireframe as SVGFailure modes
Default-on escalating nudges; a guilt-based push notification; revealing a private prayer on a shared lock screen.
What to validate
Test the full notification lifecycle and shared-device privacy. Ask whether reminders feel helpful, burdensome or revealing.
Proposed hypothesis. These visual alternatives have not been tested with users in this atlas. Source findings, documented behaviour and this proposed adaptation are different kinds of evidence.
Sources and adaptation
This card is an original design synthesis. The following sources inform its content distinctions, interaction approach or review requirements; they do not validate the whole pattern.
- Digital Spiritual Formation research agendaResearch integration planned · Further studies require complete citations, methodological review and explicit limitations before their findings inform a pattern.
- Process personal data lawfullyOfficial guidance reviewed · Specific lawful basis, retention and DPIA decisions require the actual data flows.
Common scenarios and flows
- Receive prayer support without hidden profiling — Choose useful words or silence while retaining ownership of intentions.
- Return after a break without debt — Support an irregular rhythm and a manageable next session.
Design principles in this decision
Editorial application of Missional by Design. These values frame review questions; they do not validate a pattern’s effectiveness.
- Grace — Can the person pause, miss a day, change a goal or return without being shamed or losing essential access?
Compare alternatives using the task and evidence above. Record competing needs instead of treating a principle as an automatic verdict.