Build services that
earn trust

IF curates this catalogue to help teams design trustworthy services that work for people. Contact IF for workshops about how to use these patterns.

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Most recent patterns

A person's hand hovers their mobile phone over a bar code in an energy bill.
Access through a letter
An email has a link which logs you in to another service.
Authentication with a magic link
A dialog box asking if you if you want to give someone access to your account in an emergency.
Emergency contacts

Future pattern 🔮

A computer monitor with the path of the cursor outlined on screen.
Ongoing authentication through behaviour
A list of data a service has permission to access.
Setting permissions up-front
Two devices being held closer together, enabling them to share data over WiFi.
Short-distance sharing
A person generates a code on their device for another person to scan.
Confirm end-to-end encryption
A prompt asking to access the location of a device to tag a photograph.
Just-in-time consent
Anonymising users using codes
Masking personal data
A service confirms a person’s age without revealing their date of birth to a second device.
Minimal sharing
A security key is inserted into a computer and a checkmark is displayed on screen.
Multi-factor authentication with a physical object
A facial recognition matrix for authentication.
Biometric authentication using facial recognition
A finger on a fingerprint scanner.
Biometric authentication using fingerprints
An option to modify text with sub-options of "more casual" and "more professional".
Change the output
A dialogue allowing a user to choose between "model A", "model B" and "model C"
Choose the model
A spreadsheet where a user has partially calculated age from date of birth for some rows. There is a suggestion to auto-fill the remaining answers.
Complete a task
A box for autofill settings with options for fully automated, suggesting and off.
Control the level of automation
A picture of a plant within a background. There are options to "remove background", "replace with rose" and "more"
Copilot with an AI
A box saying "chance of rain 87%", below this box is more information saying "if below 64%, your quote would have been cheaper"
Counterfactual explanation
Two mobile phones side by side showing different outcomes of an automated decision. If someone parks their car in the middle of the city, the risk factor is higher than if they park their car in a monitored parking lot.
Decision testing
A screen titled Taste Prediction Model with information below it saying v.2412, issued on 6 June 2025, a unique fingerprint ID, and a QR code.
Digital proof for AI
Contextual information about a Saxford Advisor model. The text says "This is an AI model. Funded by Saxford Council. Trained by SaxCorp. Last updated on July 2024". There are indications that more information is available.
Epistemic disclosure
A message saying "You're seeing this because you liked posts related to motocross in the past", motocross is highlighted for more information and there is an option to "forget".
Forget learning
Group decision
Group decision
A row of three shaped objects of increasing complexity, a hand is using a slider to move between them.
Model provenance
A prompt on a mobile device reading Your direct debit is due in 10 days and underneath a button reading Update payment.
Notice of upcoming action
A dialog box shows a single-use code and a button which reads Use now.
One-time access
A screen showing "task completed yesterday", an arrow leads to another screen saying "Task completed on 11/10/2026 by automated service BestBot" with an option to "Get digital proof"
Progressive disclosure
Button to query a payment.
Query an event
A message saying "This is a new process and could take up to 20 minutes", 20 minutes is underlined to indicate that more information is available
Show competence
An image of a pipe. Below the pipe there is text saying "this is most likely a pipe"
Show confidence
A dialogue showing an AI system reporting "Unable to complete task" with an option for the user to takeover.
Stop and takeover
A screen with an AI icon and an arrow pointing to a human icon, accompanying text says "Speak to a human".
Talk to a person
An image similar to a watermark on a bank note.
Watermarking
A mobile phone is tilted, putting it in to sleep mode.
Access based on context
A mobile screen reads "you've been inactive, signing you off in 20 seconds".
Checking if someone is still using the device
A dashboard for third-party access to an account (for example, a Google account). A third-party app called Scheduler can view, edit and remove entries in your calendar.
Delegate permissions
The words not a robot is written in wavy text, the word not is written underneath in regular text.
Detecting automation
A hand tracing an unlock pattern on the lockscreen of a mobile device.
Gesture authentication
A mobile phone detects that the user is in Manchester and offers more information about the city.
Location-based event
A code is generated on a device and entered into a computer.
Multi-factor authentication using a code generator
A code is shown in a text message on a mobile device and entered into a computer at the same time.
Multi-factor authentication using text message
An organ donor card in front a form for joining the Organ Donor's Register.
Opt-in to give consent
A block of text reads "you are giving access to health data for research purposes". Below, there's a button to opt-out.
Opt-out to remove consent
A CAPTCHA example with image recognition.
Prevent automated sign-ins with behaviour analysis
A CAPTCHA example with image recognition.
Prevent automated sign-ins with challenges
A list of randomly generated alpha-numeric codes.
Recovery codes
A form on a website asking for a 5-digit passcode to login.
Secret answer
A private link that enables people to share and view a document.
Sharing using a private link
Sign in using another account
Sign-in using another account
Sign-up with another account
Sign-up with another account
A web window showing customizable sharing settings for accessing a service.
Time-limited sharing
A message on a phone asking to confirm your password because it is a new or unfamiliar device.
Unusual activity check
A record of events. There's an event highlighted that reads "Searched for data patterns catalogue".
Activity log

Archived 🗄️

A website on a laptop screen with a banner which reads Welcome. This site uses cookies, read our policy here.
Implied consent

Archived 🗄️

A receipt showing sale of personal data.
Marketplace

Archived 🗄️

The same security words are displayed on two different mobile phones.
Word matching

Archived 🗄️

An option to "change expression" on a picture of a person, the option has an AI "glow" indicator next to it.
AI presence

A

A mobile phone is tilted, putting it in to sleep mode.
Access based on context
A person's hand hovers their mobile phone over a bar code in an energy bill.
Access through a letter
A record of events. There's an event highlighted that reads "Searched for data patterns catalogue".
Activity log

Archived 🗄️

An option to "change expression" on a picture of a person, the option has an AI "glow" indicator next to it.
AI presence
An email has a link which logs you in to another service.
Authentication with a magic link

B

A facial recognition matrix for authentication.
Biometric authentication using facial recognition
A finger on a fingerprint scanner.
Biometric authentication using fingerprints

C

An option to modify text with sub-options of "more casual" and "more professional".
Change the output
A mobile screen reads "you've been inactive, signing you off in 20 seconds".
Checking if someone is still using the device
A dialogue allowing a user to choose between "model A", "model B" and "model C"
Choose the model
A spreadsheet where a user has partially calculated age from date of birth for some rows. There is a suggestion to auto-fill the remaining answers.
Complete a task
A person generates a code on their device for another person to scan.
Confirm end-to-end encryption
A box for autofill settings with options for fully automated, suggesting and off.
Control the level of automation
A picture of a plant within a background. There are options to "remove background", "replace with rose" and "more"
Copilot with an AI
A box saying "chance of rain 87%", below this box is more information saying "if below 64%, your quote would have been cheaper"
Counterfactual explanation

D

Two mobile phones side by side showing different outcomes of an automated decision. If someone parks their car in the middle of the city, the risk factor is higher than if they park their car in a monitored parking lot.
Decision testing
A dashboard for third-party access to an account (for example, a Google account). A third-party app called Scheduler can view, edit and remove entries in your calendar.
Delegate permissions
The words not a robot is written in wavy text, the word not is written underneath in regular text.
Detecting automation
A screen titled Taste Prediction Model with information below it saying v.2412, issued on 6 June 2025, a unique fingerprint ID, and a QR code.
Digital proof for AI

E

A dialog box asking if you if you want to give someone access to your account in an emergency.
Emergency contacts
Contextual information about a Saxford Advisor model. The text says "This is an AI model. Funded by Saxford Council. Trained by SaxCorp. Last updated on July 2024". There are indications that more information is available.
Epistemic disclosure

F

A message saying "You're seeing this because you liked posts related to motocross in the past", motocross is highlighted for more information and there is an option to "forget".
Forget learning

G

A hand tracing an unlock pattern on the lockscreen of a mobile device.
Gesture authentication
Group decision
Group decision

I

Archived 🗄️

A website on a laptop screen with a banner which reads Welcome. This site uses cookies, read our policy here.
Implied consent

J

A prompt asking to access the location of a device to tag a photograph.
Just-in-time consent

L

A mobile phone detects that the user is in Manchester and offers more information about the city.
Location-based event

M

Archived 🗄️

A receipt showing sale of personal data.
Marketplace
Anonymising users using codes
Masking personal data
A service confirms a person’s age without revealing their date of birth to a second device.
Minimal sharing
A row of three shaped objects of increasing complexity, a hand is using a slider to move between them.
Model provenance
A code is generated on a device and entered into a computer.
Multi-factor authentication using a code generator
A code is shown in a text message on a mobile device and entered into a computer at the same time.
Multi-factor authentication using text message
A security key is inserted into a computer and a checkmark is displayed on screen.
Multi-factor authentication with a physical object

N

A prompt on a mobile device reading Your direct debit is due in 10 days and underneath a button reading Update payment.
Notice of upcoming action

O

A dialog box shows a single-use code and a button which reads Use now.
One-time access

Future pattern 🔮

A computer monitor with the path of the cursor outlined on screen.
Ongoing authentication through behaviour
An organ donor card in front a form for joining the Organ Donor's Register.
Opt-in to give consent
A block of text reads "you are giving access to health data for research purposes". Below, there's a button to opt-out.
Opt-out to remove consent

P

A CAPTCHA example with image recognition.
Prevent automated sign-ins with behaviour analysis
A CAPTCHA example with image recognition.
Prevent automated sign-ins with challenges
A screen showing "task completed yesterday", an arrow leads to another screen saying "Task completed on 11/10/2026 by automated service BestBot" with an option to "Get digital proof"
Progressive disclosure

Q

Button to query a payment.
Query an event

R

A list of randomly generated alpha-numeric codes.
Recovery codes

S

A form on a website asking for a 5-digit passcode to login.
Secret answer
A list of data a service has permission to access.
Setting permissions up-front
A private link that enables people to share and view a document.
Sharing using a private link
Two devices being held closer together, enabling them to share data over WiFi.
Short-distance sharing
A message saying "This is a new process and could take up to 20 minutes", 20 minutes is underlined to indicate that more information is available
Show competence
An image of a pipe. Below the pipe there is text saying "this is most likely a pipe"
Show confidence
Sign in using another account
Sign-in using another account
Sign-up with another account
Sign-up with another account
A dialogue showing an AI system reporting "Unable to complete task" with an option for the user to takeover.
Stop and takeover

T

A screen with an AI icon and an arrow pointing to a human icon, accompanying text says "Speak to a human".
Talk to a person
A web window showing customizable sharing settings for accessing a service.
Time-limited sharing

U

A message on a phone asking to confirm your password because it is a new or unfamiliar device.
Unusual activity check

W

An image similar to a watermark on a bank note.
Watermarking

Archived 🗄️

The same security words are displayed on two different mobile phones.
Word matching