UX checklist for a safety app in a difficult moment
Assess a route when attention and perceived time may narrow. You do not need to diagnose stress: observe whether a person finds the action, understands its consequence, checks recipients and recovers from an error. Test the real flow with accessibility and a backup channel, without promising a psychological outcome.
Define task and context
Write one sentence: “The person must send an SOS to the chosen circle” or “must answer ALL OK”. Record device, network, noise, light, language, available hands and recipients. The test should reproduce plausible constraints, not an ideal setting that hides them.
Find the action and read its label
Ask the person to point to the control without hints. The label should name an understandable verb and outcome, match the accessible name and not rely on colour or icon alone. Record hesitation and searched words; do not turn time into a score for the person.
Understand consequence and recipients
Before tapping, ask what will happen and who receives the signal. Check that the review shows recipients, message and location when applicable. Separate technical confirmation from the expectation that “someone will come”: the former is a system step; the latter requires human availability and agreement.
Read state, error and recovery
Simulate no network, invalid recipient, denied location and an accidental tap. The message should say what happened and what next step is available without blame. After confirmed SOS or ALL OK, My Safe Circle stores the command locally and may retry in background; check the outcome instead of inferring it.
Test accessibility and environment
Repeat with larger text, screen reader, voice control, sufficient contrast and another orientation where available. Check focus, reading order, speakable label and hit target. Also test low battery and intermittent network. A useful alternative is one the person knows and accepts, not the theoretically richest option.
Use an operational checklist
Have the person perform the route and record observable facts. Repeat after a pause and an update; compare errors, understanding and recovery, not an assumed stress threshold. If the app is insufficient, test the agreed channel: manual call, SMS or an assigned person.
- Task and recipients are named
- Label and accessible name agree
- Consequence and state are understandable
- Error and cancellation offer a next step
- Accessibility tested on the real device
- Backup channel accepted
Frequently asked questions
Does a simpler screen always reduce stress?
No. It may remove observable obstacles, but context, accessibility and preferences vary.
Does “sent” mean someone is intervening?
No. It names a specific technical state; delivery, reading, response and intervention are separate.
What should I test first?
Test the complete route on a real device, including an error, cancellation, status and backup channel.
Sources consulted
Technical and safety information was checked against the following official sources.
- W3C WAI — cognitive accessibility
- W3C WAI — error identification
- W3C WAI — status messages
- European Commission — 112
- My Safe Circle — documented features
Editorial disclosure: this article is published by the My Safe Circle team. W3C guidance concerns accessibility and status communication; it is not a clinical measure of stress. Sources and the product manual were checked on 8 September 2026.
USE THE CHECKLIST
Measure the route, not the person.
Test action, state, error, accessibility and backup under realistic conditions.
Discover My Safe CircleMy Safe Circle supports communication with trusted people. It is not an emergency service, does not guarantee delivery or intervention and does not prove or remove stress. For immediate danger, manually call local services.