UI/UX Designer for Student App - Accessible Design
Software used: Figma
I played a key role in the design and development of a time management and well-being support platform tailored specifically to the unique needs of neurodiverse students. This product helps students manage procrastination, stay organised, and improve their overall well-being through intuitive, accessible tools that empower users to take control of their schedules and mental health.
Key Contributions:
End-to-End User Research & Accessibility Focus: Leading the entire user research process, I collaborated closely with neurodiverse students to gain a deep understanding of their specific needs and challenges. Accessibility was a primary focus throughout the design process, and I employed a variety of research methods — including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys — to gather genuine insights into user preferences. These research-driven findings were critical in shaping the product’s features and ensuring the design catered to the diverse needs of the user base.
User-Centred, Research-Driven Design: Leveraging the insights gathered from my user research, I developed intuitive, user-centred designs that significantly enhanced the overall user experience. These designs prioritised ease of use, accessibility, and inclusivity, ensuring that the platform supported neurodiverse students in a way that felt natural and empowering. Through iterative testing and feedback, the final designs provided users with a seamless experience that reduced procrastination, promoted time management, and supported overall well-being.
Expertise in User Research: In addition to leading research efforts, I completed a user research qualification with distinction, further solidifying my ability to make research-driven design decisions. This qualification equipped me with advanced research skills and methodologies, which I applied to this project to ensure that every design decision was backed by meaningful user data and insights. The research conducted was instrumental in making sure the platform remained highly user-centric and accessible.
Complex Design Systems & Cross-Functional Collaboration: I worked with a complex design system to create scalable, consistent designs that could be easily adapted across different areas of the platform. This ensured consistency in both the visual language and user experience. In collaboration with the head of design, product manager, and developers, I helped shape the product’s core functionality while ensuring that the design vision aligned with business goals and technical constraints.
Supporting Business Functions with Design Contributions: Beyond my work on the core product, I heavily supported various business functions by contributing to branding, marketing, and sales initiatives. This included designing marketing materials and working on sales presentations that helped communicate the product’s value. I also conducted several research projects that informed strategic business initiatives, ensuring that our design choices were aligned with broader organisational goals and strengthened overall brand consistency.
Outcomes and Impact:
Through a combination of in-depth user research, accessibility-driven design, and collaboration with cross-functional teams, I was able to help create a tool that truly supports neurodiverse students in managing their time, reducing procrastination, and improving well-being. The research-driven approach ensured the platform was both highly functional and deeply empathetic to the needs of its users. The design also provided a strong foundation for future iterations and scalability as the product continues to evolve and grow.
Project Overview:
After conducting extensive user research, we discovered that one of the most requested features from our users was the addition of more calendar views within our mobile and web app. Currently, users only had access to a day view, but they expressed a strong need for both week and month views to help them see their upcoming schedules and better manage their workload.
Design Challenge:
The key challenge was finding the right balance between displaying enough information to make the feature genuinely useful, while reducing visual clutter to keep the interface accessible, especially for neurodivergent users—a significant portion of our user base. The month view, in particular, posed difficulties in balancing detailed information with an accessible, clean layout. Additionally, technical constraints, such as the inability to offer a landscape mode, further complicated the design process by limiting screen space.
Design Process & Collaboration:
To address these challenges, I worked on numerous design iterations, constantly collaborating with the Head of Design, Product Manager, and developers to ensure that the proposed solutions aligned with both user needs and technical limitations. Throughout the process, I heavily incorporated user feedback, engaging directly with them to ensure the designs would meet their expectations and improve their experience.
Outcome & Roadmap:
While these designs are not yet final and have not been developed, they reflect my interpretation of how we could resolve this issue for our users. The feature update is now included on the product roadmap, and we anticipate these designs will provide valuable insights when the time comes for implementation. The new calendar views are set to give users a more comprehensive and accessible way to plan ahead and stay organised, ultimately improving their overall experience with the app.