Product Guardrails

This document defines the constraints that should shape DMS as the product grows.

Privacy & Compliance

The product must preserve memory without violating privacy, dignity, or legal obligations.

• Goal: Support selective forgetting without destroying the integrity of shared history.
• Why it matters: Users will not record honest reasoning unless the system feels safe.

Product Experience

DMS should feel deliberate, calm, and reflective. The interface should support judgment, not distraction.

• Design Goal: Low noise, high focus.
• No Gamification: Do not use streaks, points, or vanity metrics.
• Focus on Review: Encourage looking back, not just logging fast.

Misuse Risks

As the product grows, it must be actively designed against harmful misuse.

• Psychological Safety: Prevent users from feeling surveilled or judged.
• Power Dynamics: Ensure history cannot be turned into a management weapon.
• No Blame: Keep the focus on why a decision failed, not who to punish.

Evaluation Standard

Every major product decision should be tested against three values:

1. Trust: The system must be honest.
2. Learning: The system must be useful.
3. Dignity: The system must respect the person.