AVoid.
An AI-powered browser extension to support students with ADHD in planning & task-management.
Timeline
Sept. 2024 - Dec 2024
My Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
Team
Sriya Ventrapragada
Eason Xinran Wang
Joon Kum
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is often misunderstood as just a “focus problem,” but it’s so much more. It affects executive function—the mental processes that help with planning, time management, organization, and breaking down big tasks into manageable steps. These skills are crucial for academic success but can be especially challenging for students with ADHD.
For this project, my team and I set out to create a solution tailored specifically for students with ADHD, addressing their unique struggles with executive function. Our goal wasn’t just to design a tool but to build something meaningful that empowers users to organize, plan, and succeed—without the overwhelm.
How might we support college students with ADHD in improving their executive functioning, such as planning, time management, and self-regulation, to better navigate academic challenges and improve their performance?
Initial Research
Method 01
Literature Reviews
Secondary Research
What are some existing solutions?
Medication
Most effective solution, with 80% of patients responding positively, significantly improving focus and executive functioning.
Executive Function Coaching
Helps students develop skills like time management & goal-setting via personalized sessions, empowering them to better manage academic tasks.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps reframe negative thoughts, set realistic goals, and improve self-discipline, aiding emotional regulation and attention control.
Organizational Tools
Tools like calendars and task lists help structure daily activities, break tasks into smaller steps, and reduce overwhelm (e.g., Google Calendar, Notion).
Method 02
Survey
45 Participants
7 Days
Survey Deployment and Structure
Platform: Sub-Reddits for Georgia higher-ed institutions
Screening: Valid .edu email required
MCQs + short answers for qualitative and quantitative insights.
Method 03
Semi-Structured Interviews
10 Participants
20-40 Min. each
After conducting surveys, we invited 9 participants from the survey pool who agreed to follow-up interviews, along with Sarah C. Burman, Assistant Director of Georgia Tech’s ODS (Office of Disability Services), for a total of 10 participants.
Information Goals
Academic challenges
Strategies employed to manage ADHD
Effectiveness of existing support systems
Affinity Mapping
Findings
Task Management & Tools
Calendars and task lists help externalize tasks and manage working memory while integrated, customizable tools reduce overwhelm by breaking tasks into smaller steps.
Motivation & Accountability
Rewards, gamification, and peer support boost motivation and productivity. Emotional regulation tools and accountability systems aid focus and engagement.
Environmental & External Factors
Managing sensory distractions with tools like noise-canceling headphones improves focus. Simplifying accommodation processes can reduce frustration and encourage more students to seek support.
Method 04
Hierarchical Task Analysis
2 Tasks
Task 1: Organizing the Day with Google Calendar
How do students with ADHD use Google Calendar to organize their educational, personal, and work-related tasks and events? What are the cognitive and environmental challenges they face?
Task Characteristics:
Moderate Effort
Completing this task involves 5-6 steps and cognitive effort to update and check the calendar regularly.
Flexibility
The task can be performed anywhere, making it convenient for on-the-go planning.
Consistency Challenges
Self-regulation impairments can make it difficult to consistently update calendars, causing frustration & incomplete schedules.
Task 2: Utilizing Academic Accommodations at University
How do students with ADHD apply for and utilize academic accommodations through their university’s disability services center?
Task Characteristics:
Lengthy and Involved
The process averages 3 weeks, requiring persistent follow-ups & coordination across multiple parties (e.g., doctors, family, university).
Complexity
Numerous steps, including documentation, meetings, and communication with professors, can be overwhelming.
Self-Driven
Expectation to independently initiate and manage the entire process, can deter students from starting or completing the task.
Design requirements
Neutral Branding & Accessible Design
The interface should be neutral, non-judgmental, and accessible to all users, ensuring confidentiality and usability across diverse backgrounds.
Cognitive Reduction & Task Externalization
The system should externalize thoughts with visual task mapping, minimize distractions, and maintain intuitive workflows to prevent overwhelm.
Structured Support & Positive Reinforcement
The system should reinforce progress through rewards, normalize ADHD experiences, and enable peer support for accountability and motivation.
Flexible & Adaptive Workflows
The system should break down tasks into manageable steps, allow customizable scheduling, and maintain a simple, user-friendly interface.
Ideation & Concept Development
User Persona
Journey Map
Early Ideas
Before arriving at our final solution, we explored several design concepts. Each idea was guided by our previous research design requirements. While some concepts were ultimately set aside, they played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of user needs and refining our design requirements.
What can we learn from other industry tools?
Comparative Analysis
5 Systems
Developing the Prototype
User Flow
Information Architecture
Storyboard
Wireframes
High Fidelity Prototypes
Login in with Google/Apple
Automatic syncing with users’ existing Google or Apple calendars enables the tool to access and display scheduled events, ensuring a cohesive planning experience while reducing the need for manual input.
Generate Plan
Helps users create personalized project plans with options to adjust task complexity and focus duration. Users can highlight text directly from a page or type a description into an input box, refine their input, and let the AI generate a tailored plan with just a click.
View & Edit Plan
After generating a plan, users can view the AI-generated tasks organized by weeks and days, with estimated completion times and sessions based on attention span. They can edit tasks or adjust the schedule using an expanded calendar, then finalize their plan by clicking "Add to Calendar" to sync it with Google/IOS Calendar.
Calendar Integration
The user’s Google or IOS calendar will provide daily reminders for scheduled tasks. This seamless integration reinforces progress, helps allocate time effectively, and encourages a structured routine, reducing the risk of missed deadlines.
Timeline Overview
This tab visually organizes tasks with color-coded categories or projects for streamlined tracking. Key functionalities include:
Search Feature
Filter by Time Frame
Show/Hide Categories
Edit Timeline
Today's Tasks Overview
Helps users focus on their daily priorities by displaying scheduled tasks alongside a Pomodoro timer. It highlights the "Current Task" for easy prioritization.
Pomodoro Timer: Encourages focus with structured intervals, reducing burnout and making tasks manageable.
Current task indicator
Check off completed tasks
Add a New Task
This tab provides a quick and flexible way for users to add smaller, spontaneous tasks by highlighting text on a page or typing directly into a text box.
Quick Capture
Flexible Input Options
Deadline Setting
Categorical Assignment
Completed Tasks
This page serves as a historical record, listing all previously completed tasks. This feature allows users to revisit past work for reference or reflection.
Task Record
Reinforces Motivation: Visual marker of accomplishment and encouragement.
Builds Accountability
Planets Unlocked
Functions as a reward system. Users unlock a unique planet upon completing a project, each accompanied by a description of the "arrival" date, a visual depiction of the planet's environment, and a collectible image. Users can save the planet image as a sticker to share, making achievements fun and shareable.
Settings
Allows users to customize their experience by enabling features like Task Carryover, adjusting font size, and selecting between light, dark, or system themes. Users can also access Help, Privacy, and About sections, and manage their accounts.
Finder
File
Edit
View
Go
Window
Help
Mon Oct 10 9:41 AM
Design System
Typography
Color Palette
Concept Theme
Icons & Component
Browser Layout
Evaluation
Criteria
Time Management Strategies
Since one of our main goals with this tool is to help students with ADHD manage their time for school assignments, we wanted to measure the impact of features like the Pomodoro timer, task breakdown feature, and easy planning tools on students' time for project planning.
Simple Interface
Our design was implemented to be intuitive, easy to navigate, and have easier learnability to reduce cognitive load, aid attention, memory, and user retention by reducing the number of steps to complete. To evaluate their characteristics, we recorded the task completion rates and time taken to complete each task while conducting usability testing.
Method
Moderated Usability Testing
Thinking Aloud
7 Participants
40-50 Min. each
Evaluation Metrics
Task completion rate
Task completion duration
Qualitative insights from think-aloud evaluation
Tasks Evaluated
-> Task 1: Generate a plan for a long-term academic Project
-> Task 2: Edit the plan to make it suitable for your needs
-> Task 3: Start working on daily tasks
Task completion rate
II. Task completion duration
III. Qualitative Insights - Thematic Analysis
Conclusion
Prototype Successes
Streamlined Planning: Reduced planning time by up to 50%.
Adaptable Workflows: Users appreciated adjustable task details and attention spans.
Ease of Access: Browser extension minimized distractions and fit seamlessly into workflows.
Neutral Branding: Tool resonated with both ADHD-diagnosed and non-diagnosed participants.
Externalization of Thoughts and Imagery: Visual task breakdowns and timelines helped users externalize agendas, reducing cognitive load and supporting task management.
Next Steps
Clarity and Customization of AI-Generated Content
Participants desired more accurate and contextually relevant AI outputs. Future designs should enable users to customize AI-generated plans, tailoring them to specific needs, goals, and tasks for improved usability.
Information Hierarchy and Visual Simplicity
Overwhelming visuals and unclear structuring hindered user focus. Future designs should prioritize clean, minimalist interfaces, clear labeling, and logical organization to reduce cognitive load and improve navigation.
Clearer Feedback and Onboarding
Users were unsure about key functionalities due to insufficient feedback and onboarding. Future iterations should include clear confirmation dialogs, tooltips, and concise interactive tutorials to guide users effectively.
Minimizing Visual Distractions
Users emphasized the need for focus-enhancing features, such as focus modes, muted backgrounds, and streamlined layouts, to maintain attention and prevent overwhelm.
Accessibility and Inclusivity
Participants noted barriers such as small icons and dense visuals. Future designs should integrate inclusive features like adjustable font sizes, high contrast modes, text-to-speech, and keyboard navigation to support diverse user needs.