Designing privacy decisions in high-trust social systems
Cirqil is a mobile product exploring how users maintain connection while retaining control over their data, location, and personal boundaries.
Privacy & Security
Product Statement
Cirqil explores how people stay socially connected while maintaining control over their privacy. In data-driven social experiences, users are often asked to share personal information without clear visibility into scope, duration, or consequences.
The design challenge was to help users make intentional sharing decisions without friction or accidental oversharing.
Market Research
76%
of users say data encryption and privacy settings are top decision factors in choosing communication apps
25%
higher user engagement seen in Messaging and social connection apps with strong privacy features
These findings highlighted a core tension:
Users want stronger privacy controls, but abandon products when those controls feel complex or disruptive.
Product Features
Contact Privacy Tiers
Smart Security Layers
Problem Solving
Cirqil directly resolves the challenges of unclear privacy, risky sharing, and complicated controls. Empowering users to connect with others while keeping their data, location, and personal preferences safe and effortlessly manageable.
Here are the breakdown of the top 3 painpoints users were facing and how they got resolved.
Lack of Control Over Personal Privacy and Data Sharing
Then…
Users had limited ability to control what personal information (e.g., location, status, contact data) was shared, with whom, and for how long. Privacy settings were often generic or difficult to configure, causing anxiety about oversharing or unintended data exposure.
Now!!!
Cirqil features granular privacy controls. Users can now customize exactly what they share and with whom—from their visibility to specific data types—using intuitive toggles and privacy tiers. This puts users in charge of their own privacy, providing confidence and peace of mind.
Inconvenient and Insecure Location Sharing
Then…
Sharing real-time location with friends or groups was either cumbersome, temporary, or risky—users had to rely on third-party apps or messages, which often lacked security or were easy to forget to turn off.
Now!!!
Cirqil introduces temporary, one-tap location sharing. Users can safely and quickly share their location for a specific event, time window, or with select people, then automatically have their privacy restored. This makes meetups and events safer, more spontaneous, and worry-free.
No Centralized Privacy Dashboard or Easy Control
Then…
Managing privacy across different social platforms and events was fragmented. Changing settings or stopping data sharing required navigating multiple apps and menus, making it easy to lose track of what's exposed.
Now!!!
Cirqil provides a unified privacy management dashboard. All privacy controls, sharing settings, and security options are easily accessible in one interface. Users can make quick adjustments—such as pausing all sharing or switching privacy modes—without friction.
Outcome
Cirqil demonstrates how privacy-first design can support connection without sacrificing autonomy.
By structuring sharing around context, time, and relationship tiers, the product enables more deliberate and confident user decisions.
My Overall Contributions
Title
Product Lead
Role & Process
I led end-to-end product design with a focus on privacy decision-making and user trust.
Besides leading, I also help defined privacy interaction principles to balance user autonomy and system safety.
Ensuring partnered across research and design to translate complex privacy needs into intuitive controls.
Tools Used
Figma
ChatGPT
Google Doc
Affinity Designer
Affinity Photo