Overview
Ever fallen down a 50-tab rabbit hole? For ADHD minds, it’s more than a quirk—it’s a daily challenge.
The Challange
High Distractions: from long texts and endless links lead ADHDers to unfinished tasks and frustration.
The Opportunity
A Copilot, TunedIn: A smart browser extension with Bionic Reading, Pomodoro Timers, and more. Stay focused, stay productive—no more getting lost mid-research!
Year & Duration
2024 | 4 Weeks
Industry
Accessibility
My Role
Researcher
UX Designer
Visual Designer
Product Designer
Tools
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- Neurodevelopmental Disorder
Research
Why is concentrating so challenging?
ADHD affects the brain's executive functions, responsible for attention, planning, and self-control.
Who does it affect?
ADHD is more likely to go undetected in adults than in children.
Children
Adolescents
Adults
Statistics
Understanding the magnitude of ADHD.
2.6%
Adults Globally
366 million of the adult population are believed to have ADHD
1.6-14%
In India
Prevalence of ADHD in India in various studies.
5-7%
Under 20 of Age
129 million children and adolescents (ages 5-19) are estimated to have ADHD.
The average person spends
6h 40mins
Social media users hit
4.9 billion
in 2023, growing by 3% annually
70%
of ADHD individuals find generic reminders ineffective.
One-size-fits-all reminders fail to engage, making focus harder.
User Research
Experiences & Expectations
Conversations covered ADHD challenges in digital life, reading habits, online media interaction, research, focus, and tools used.
No. of Interviews
6
Type of Interview
Face-to-Face & Virtual Meet
User Target | Urban Global
Researchers
Educators
Students
Primary Research | Interviews
What did the users have to say
My Approach | Methods & participants.
User Interviews- 8 participants
Complex & Long texts are overwhelming.
Limited working memory capacity leads to quick overload.
Unending Search Results, lack of direction.
Cause? Impaired prioritization makes it hard to set stopping points. | 6 of 8 Users
Straying away from main topic of research.
Cause? Weaker executive control causes tangential thinking. | 7/8 Users
Even the smallest thing can be a distraction.
Cause? Low dopamine makes it hard to filter irrelevant stimuli.
What works best? Simplicity(Less is more)
Finding relevant searches.
Bionic Reading.
Sections & Sub-sections.
Text to Speech with Highlighting text.
Infographics
Synthesis
Persona Perspective: Navigating Research with ADHD
(F,25)
History Student (PhD)
Mumbai, India
ADHD Traits
Hyper-Focus
Impulsivity
Easily Distracted
Inspiring people by telling a unique stories through visual design.
Exploring new fresh ways and techniques to implement on the brand.
Stay focused and on track.
Complete tasks without distractions.
Organized, structured information.
Clutter-free, distraction-free environment.
Information Overload- too much text
Hyper Focus causing her to derail fom initial task
Distracted by ads and other things on the screen
Synthesis
Persona Perspective: Navigating Research with ADHD
Says
"I just want to find one story, how hard can it be?"
"These crashes are driving me crazy—just fix it already!"
"I wish TTS worked like before; I used it daily."
Does
Tries different search filters and keywords
Exits the app in frustration
Leaves negative feedback in forums or reviews
Thinks
"Why is the search showing irrelevant results?"
"This app is too buggy to use comfortably."
"Maybe I should switch to another platform."
Feels
Frustrated and discouraged
Annoyed and disappointed
Tired and anxious
Design Goals
Reduce Information Overload
Redirection to Main Task
Provide Focus & Direction
Concept Development
Solution
Smart Filtering
Keyword-based search results & recent history for quick access.
Task Management
Drag-and-drop priority list & Pomodoro timer to break tasks into chunks.
Bionic Reading
Enhances readability by highlighting key vowels.
Distraction Blocker
Hides ads, search bars & unnecessary elements.
Task Check-Ins
Periodic prompts to redirect focus when straying.
Task Flow
Task: Complete Research without spiraling into a rabbit hole.
Task Flow
Task: Complete Research without spiraling into a rabbit hole.
Information Architecture
Organizing and structuring to make it findable & understand the flow of it.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Laying out the structure in enough detail helped me decide on the functional aspects of the extension.
Final Concept
Primary
Secondary
Neutral
Neutral
Aa
Open Sans
Primary Typeface
Icons
Cards & Interactions
Check-In prompts
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Detailed Layout and Interactions
Optimized Features
Smart design for sharper focus and seamless task flow.
Filtered Search Results
Custom filters and clear cues for faster, focused searches.
Clutter-free Bionic Screen
Bold text and minimal noise for better retention.
Timer & Task Prioritization
Visual timers and prioritization to boost task completion.
Prompts to keep you one track
Contextual nudges to reduce distractions and enhance focus.
Reflections
Small Tweaks, Big Impact
User Behavior is Wild
People take unpredictable detours, so creating flexible solutions was key.
Building 'TunedIn' showed me how empathy-driven design creates real impact. Small tweaks can spark big focus shifts. The future? Clear, compassionate design.
2025 © Subarshni N. All rights reserved OFC.