Design · Add-on
Design for trust and safety
Consumer products can be misused for fraud, abuse or harmful content. Design protections in from the start.
About 2-5 daysChanges yearlyLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Design and user experience
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- Consumer digital product
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- List ways people could misuse the product or harm others.
- Write clear rules about what is and is not allowed.
- Give users easy ways to report problems and block others.
- Decide how reports will be reviewed and how fast.
- Check the laws that apply, including protections for children.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Assess abuse risks.
- Design reporting, blocking and review.
- Check legal duties.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Build abuse detection and response into the product roadmap.
- Measure harm, not just reports.
- Publish transparency information.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Can be delegated to
- Policy / Legal / Compliance: Advise on legal duties and policies
- UX Designer: Design reporting and safety features
Reviewed by: Policy / Legal / Compliance
Tool examples
- Figma
- Design report, block and appeal flows.
- Confluence
- Keep content policies and the review process together.
Definition of done
- Misuse risks assessed
- Reporting and review designed
- Legal duties checked
Common pitfalls
- Thinking about safety after an incident
- Reporting with no response
- Rules users cannot understand
If you lead the team
What good looks like: Protection against fraud, abuse and harmful content is designed in from the start.
Ask your PM
- How could this be misused, and what stops it?
- Who handles reports, and how quickly?
Warning signs
- Safety work starts after the first incident.
- There's no way for users to report a problem.