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Routine — A Task Management App for ADHD

Date

12.2021 - 01.2022

Role

UX Design

Stakeholder

School Project

Introduction

What if your brain wants routine, but resists it every time you try? That’s the everyday challenge for many people with ADHD. Inspired by the struggles of someone close to me, I set out to design a solution that could help individuals with ADHD build and maintain routines in a way that feels motivating, not overwhelming.

This personal project became a deep dive into designing with empathy for neurodivergent users, turning frustration into functional design.

Phase 1: Understanding ADHD from the Inside Out

I began with literature research to understand the neurodevelopmental nature of ADHD. I then conducted interviews with four individuals clinically diagnosed with ADHD, including my partner. Through a Discord ADHD community, I gathered candid insights into the daily chaos they experience.

The main takeaway? "We want a routine. But it’s so hard to build one."

Common challenges included:

Difficulty starting tasks without motivation
Forgetfulness caused by hyperfocus
A sense of disorganization that made to-do lists ineffective.

Phase 2: Defining the Problem and Persona

I synthesized findings into an affinity map and created a user persona named Thomas, an adult with ADHD who craves structure but struggles to maintain it. This helped shape my point-of-view statement:

"A user with ADHD needs a more efficient and motivating way to build routines, because they find it difficult to persist and maintain interest."

To guide the ideation phase, I formulated two "How Might We" questions that focused on helping users both build and stay engaged with routines.

"HMW help ADHDer to build a routine more efficiently?"
"HMW help ADHDer maintain interest to keep a routine?"

Phase 3: Ideation and Concept Development

My first concept was a physical LED-based habit calendar, but due to complexity and time constraints, I pivoted to a mobile app. I outlined the app's core functions:

A visual daily timeline
Customizable tasks and habits
Motivational progress reports
Reminder notifications to prevent hyperfocus from derailing schedules

I created detailed task flows to explore how users might interact with task creation, recurring habits, and unassigned to-dos. This ensured the system could support the unpredictable energy patterns often reported by ADHD users.

Phase 4: Prototyping and Design Principles

I applied accessibility guidelines tailored to ADHD, such as:

Provide a ‘calm’ environment, with soothing colours. No decorations or distractions (this conflicts with previous tips however);
Distinguish important information by putting it in bold or colour. Signpost sections and group related information into panels;
Use large print (12-14 point) and a clear sans-serif font such as Arial;
Help pupils follow text by writing/highlighting alternate lines in different colours;
Minimise surprises;
Avoid having dynamic or moving images on the site.

Using Adobe XD, I created a prototype centered around a timeline view that allows users to visualize their day at a glance.

The design avoided animated distractions and instead emphasized clarity, simplicity, and ease of interaction.

Phase 5: User Testing and Feedback

I conducted usability testing with ADHD users and observed how they navigated the app. Their feedback shaped several improvements. Users appreciated the minimal interface and loved the subtask feature, which made larger goals feel more achievable. The report function was described as motivating and rewarding.

Some interface elements, like the "total time" label and alarm icons, needed better explanations. Based on the tests, I made interaction changes to improve intuitiveness, such as tap-to-expand events directly from the timeline.

Reflection

This was one of the most meaningful projects I’ve done. Designing for someone I care about made every design decision personal and purposeful. I learned how to conduct research with hard-to-reach groups, translate emotional pain points into product features, and design interfaces that truly reduce mental load.

With more time, I would refine onboarding, test more deeply with diverse users, and explore integrations with mood-tracking tools.