Location Check-In

Sevka: Daily Stability & Routine Support

From tracking to trust: redesigning location sharing to meet app store compliance while strengthening user trust and value

Overview

A lightweight, user-controlled way for teens to check in at key moments throughout their day.

Location Check-In is a feature in a teen-focused app designed to support daily routines, structure, and accountability. Teens can voluntarily share their location at key moments, such as arriving at school or getting home. Instead of continuous tracking, check-ins are intentional and tied to real-world transitions. Parents receive a notification and can respond with simple acknowledgment or encouragement, reinforcing consistency and follow-through. This shifts location sharing from passive monitoring to a trust-based interaction that supports everyday stability. Parents can request a check-in when needed, while teens retain control over if and when they share their location.

My Role

Lead UX/UI Designer

Synthesizing clinical research and psychological insights
Defining the experience architecture
Designing the full interaction flow
Creating wireframes and prototypes
Collaborating with clinicians, engineering, and leadership
Preparing the experience for development

Team

CEO / Product Lead
Clinical psychologists
Engineering team
Additional UX designers
Persons with lived experience

Tools

Figma
FigJam
Journey mapping
Interaction flow modeling
Collaborative design workshops

This case study is a portfolio-safe adaptation of a real mental health product protected by an NDA.

Problem

Always-on location tracking created both a compliance risk and a mismatch with the product’s goals.

The app originally used always-on location sharing, allowing parents to continuously view a teen’s location. This created a compliance risk as app store policies tightened around background location usage. It also conflicted with the app’s goal of promoting independence, relying instead on passive monitoring. The team needed a solution that met platform requirements while better supporting routine-building and accountability.

Solution

Replace passive tracking with intentional, routine-based check-ins.

The team replaced continuous tracking with a voluntary check-in feature tied to daily routines. Teens share their location at meaningful moments, making the interaction intentional and behavior-driven. Parents can respond with acknowledgment or encouragement, reinforcing consistency. This resolved compliance issues while better aligning the feature with the app’s goals. Parents can request a check-in when needed, while teens retain control over if and when they share their location.

Design Principles

Build trust through user control and positive reinforcement.

Support routines, not surveillance
Tie check-ins to real-world transitions

Promote independence
Teens initiate the final step of all location sharing

Keep it lightweight
Fast, simple, repeatable

Reinforce behavior
Encouragement over monitoring

Be transparent
Clearly communicate when location is shared, who can see it, and ensure users feel in control of the interaction.

Impact

The redesign resolved compliance issues while strengthening the product’s core experience.

Shifting to intentional check-ins reduced privacy concerns and better supported routine-building. It also fostered a more positive dynamic between teens and parents.

What I Learned

Designing for independence builds trust, and teens are more engaged when they feel in control.

Moving away from passive tracking created a more meaningful, behavior-driven feature. Teens responded more positively when location sharing felt like their choice rather than something happening to them, which increased comfort and willingness to engage. Tying check-ins to real-world moments made the feature easier to understand and more relevant to daily routines. I also learned that supporting independence and providing reassurance are not mutually exclusive when users are given clear control and the experience feels transparent.