Double Incomes, Single Calendar: Reimagining Shared Scheduling for Modern Families

Coordinating schedules in double-income households is an ongoing challenge, as traditional calendar tools often fail to meet the needs of families juggling professional and domestic responsibilities. This mixed-methods study investigates the barriers to adopting shared digital calendars and explores how guided onboarding and participatory design can improve their effectiveness for family use. We conducted surveys with 277 participants, interviews with 40 individuals, a one-month calendar adoption intervention with 30 couples, and a design workshop with 12 couples. Our findings reveal persistent obstacles—including privacy concerns, uneven engagement, and limited customization—as well as the potential of targeted support and user-driven design to overcome them. Participants expressed a desire for more flexible privacy controls, role-sensitive features, and smarter coordination support. Thematic analysis across all phases highlights how families negotiate boundaries, share invisible scheduling labor, and creatively adapt tools to fit their routines. We conclude with implications for designing family-centric coordination technologies that balance structure, agency, and trust in everyday scheduling.