CHD-01
The user chooses the action being tracked.
Agency starts with a goal selected by the person, not inferred by the product.
Evidence to record: Show where a user creates or selects the action.
Open framework · 20 review criteria · v1.0
Calm Habit Design Checklist
Habit products can make repetition visible without turning a streak into a diagnosis, a missed day into shame or an animation into proof of efficacy. This checklist gives designers, reviewers and researchers a concrete way to inspect those boundaries.
What this release is
Victor Laybats authored the checklist from Reef’s documented product boundaries and public methodology. Each item is written as a review question and an evidence request. The release does not score Reef or any competing product.
This is a normative design checklist, not a clinical instrument, controlled experiment, certification or proof that a habit will form. A product can satisfy a criterion and still be ineffective or unsuitable in a particular context. Reviewers should record the app version, platform, date and evidence they actually observed.
Goal definition
CHD-02
The action can be described in observable terms.
Observable actions are easier to review than vague promises about identity or health.
Evidence to record: Record the goal label, schedule and completion rule.
CHD-03
A goal can be edited, paused or removed.
Changing circumstances should not trap a person in an obsolete commitment.
Evidence to record: Demonstrate the edit, pause and deletion controls.
Feedback
CHD-04
The interface distinguishes user input from calculated progress.
People should know which facts they entered and which values the product derived.
Evidence to record: Label a completion, a calculated count and any inferred status.
CHD-05
Decorative rewards are identifiable as product mechanics.
Animation and collectibles can motivate without being presented as scientific evidence.
Evidence to record: Identify each decorative reward and the action that unlocks it.
CHD-06
Streak and completion calculations are explainable.
A visible calculation lets users understand resets, time zones and missed entries.
Evidence to record: Document the calculation, reset rule and time-zone behavior.
Recovery
CHD-07
A missed day has a clear return path.
Recovery supports continued use without turning one lapse into a disproportionate penalty.
Evidence to record: Demonstrate the first session after a missed day.
CHD-08
Copy avoids shame, diagnosis and moral judgment.
A tracker should report product state without judging the person.
Evidence to record: Review empty, lapse, reminder and cancellation messages.
CHD-09
Historical progress remains understandable after a break.
People need an accurate record even when continuity changes.
Evidence to record: Inspect how gaps and prior completions are displayed.
Attention
CHD-10
Reminders are optional and controllable.
Notifications should support a chosen routine, not manufacture urgency.
Evidence to record: Show opt-in, schedule, mute and disable controls.
CHD-11
The product works without manipulative countdowns or false scarcity.
Artificial urgency can displace the user’s goal with the product’s engagement target.
Evidence to record: Review purchase, streak and reward prompts for time pressure.
CHD-12
Reduced-motion and interruption needs are considered.
Visual reward systems should remain usable when motion or repeated interruption is unwelcome.
Evidence to record: Test system motion settings and notification-disabled use.
Social
CHD-13
Social participation is optional.
Private self-tracking should not require public performance.
Evidence to record: Complete the core workflow without adding contacts or posting.
CHD-14
Audience and visibility are clear before sharing.
Users need to know who can see a goal, completion or media item.
Evidence to record: Capture the audience selector and resulting view.
CHD-15
Rankings and comparison do not redefine personal progress.
Competitive mechanics can create pressure unrelated to the chosen action.
Evidence to record: Document whether leaderboards exist and how they can be avoided.
Data control
CHD-16
Collected data is described at the point it matters.
A plain-language explanation supports informed use and later review.
Evidence to record: Map each core screen to the relevant privacy disclosure.
CHD-17
Deletion and account exit are discoverable.
A user should be able to leave without an opaque support maze.
Evidence to record: Test the public and in-product deletion path.
Evidence
CHD-18
Feature claims are separated from outcome claims.
A working feature does not by itself prove behavior change or health benefit.
Evidence to record: Classify every material claim as feature, hypothesis or measured outcome.
CHD-19
Any outcome report states context, measures and limitations.
Without those details, a testimonial or metric cannot support a general conclusion.
Evidence to record: Check the app version, period, sample, measure, attrition and comparison.
CHD-20
Medical or psychological claims have appropriate evidence and review.
Habit software should not imply treatment, diagnosis or guaranteed benefit without support.
Evidence to record: List health-related wording and the evidence and review behind it.
Provenance and source boundary
This artifact is authored by the product publisher. The links below establish the first-party product scope that informed it. They are not independent validation.
How to cite
Laybats, Victor. (2026). Calm Habit Design Checklist v1.0. IVRYN. https://reeftogether.com/research/calm-habit-design-checklist/
The machine-readable citation file is available as CITATION.cff. The compilation is licensed under CC BY 4.0; attribution is required. Product names and trademarks are not licensed.
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