Design Philosophy
Building a Cognitive Co-pilot for the ADHD Brain
psychology The Cognitive Co-pilot Framework
For students with ADHD, the interface itself is a support system. Features like progress bars, immediate feedback, and visual timers are not "nice-to-haves"—they are essential tools that align with and complement how their cognitive functions operate.
What the Application Does
Provides a reliable external memory • Creates a clear, organized path • Guides and protects focus • Engineers immediate, tangible motivation • Creates a calm, predictable space
Design Imperatives
| Focus Area | Design Imperative | Implementation Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Planning & Initiation | Provide external structure | Clear frameworks, task decomposition, guided workflows |
| Working Memory Load | Externalize information | Persistent context, recognition over recall, visible state |
| Attention & Focus | Reduce friction & distraction | Minimalism, single-task focus, low initiation cost |
| Motivation & Reward | Engineer micro-wins | Progress bars, XP, streaks, celebrations |
| Anxiety & Overwhelm | Create predictability | Consistent patterns, calming design, user control |
target Core ADHD Cognitive Mismatches
The Planning & Initiation Challenge
Difficulty with planning, organization, task initiation, and cognitive flexibility. Result: "Write research paper" triggers paralysis—unable to break it into steps, unable to start.
The 'Mental RAM' Challenge
Limited "mental RAM" for holding information. Result: Forgetting instructions from a previous screen, losing track of the overall goal while working on components.
The Attention Control Challenge
Not lack of attention, but difficulty controlling where it goes. Result: Distracted by visual clutter, hyperfocus preventing disengagement, time blindness.
The Interest-Based Motivation System
Interest-based nervous system—difficulty generating motivation for non-stimulating tasks. Result: Can't start boring-but-important tasks, needs frequent small rewards.
The Emotional Overwhelm Cycle
Executive function is linked to emotional self-regulation. Result: Chronic stress from missed deadlines, shame spirals, anxiety about falling behind.
The Time Perception Challenge
Inability to accurately perceive passage of time. Result: Works for 3 hours thinking it's 30 minutes, cannot estimate how long tasks will take.
palette Key Design Principles
Recognition Over Recall
Recall can be taxing for ADHD brains, but they excel at recognition. Show the information; don't make users remember it. Persistent progress bars, visible metadata, and just-in-time information disclosure all externalize state into the UI.
Example: Persistent Mini Progress Bars
Every assignment card shows completion percentage at a glance. Users don't need to remember "Did I complete step 2?"—they just look. This reduces working memory load from 5 items to 0 items.
Micro-Wins & Immediate Feedback
The interface must provide the dopamine hits the brain doesn't generate internally. Every action provides feedback within 1 second: checkmarks animate, progress bars fill, XP counters climb.
Example: Checkbox Completion Animations
When a checkbox is clicked, the checkmark "pops" with a scale animation, the course dot fills with rotation, and the progress bar advances with a shimmer. Dopamine hit within 300ms of action.
Single-Task Focus Design
Parallel task processing can be overwhelming for ADHD users. The Quest page loads one assignment at a time in a full-width "megacard." All other assignments are hidden in collapsed course lists. This eliminates decision paralysis and attention fragmentation.
Ruthless Minimalism
Every UI element consumes "sensory budget." Decorative animations, unnecessary icons, and visual clutter are eliminated. Every remaining element must earn its cognitive cost by providing functional value.
The Sensory Budget Framework
Users with ADHD have a finite sensory processing capacity that can be depleted more quickly than neurotypical users. When that budget is exhausted, it can lead to cognitive overload. Our design audits every element: "Does this earn its cognitive cost?"
Reduce Anxiety Through Predictability
Academic work is emotionally loaded for ADHD students. Calm, consistent interfaces create psychological safety. Dark mode by default, Lexend font for readability, custom popups instead of harsh browser alerts—all reduce stress response.
construction How We Implement This
Scaffolding Working Memory
- Course status dots show progress at-a-glance without navigation
- Assignment metadata always visible (due date, course, priority, points)
- Progressive disclosure reveals information exactly when needed, not before
Guiding Attentional Focus
- Color-coded priority using preattentive processing (brain recognizes urgency in <100ms)
- Unselected courses fade to 30% opacity to reduce peripheral distraction
- Slowed animations (300ms vs 150ms) provide time to track state changes
Sparking Task Initiation
- Zero-friction course selection—one click and you're working
- Checkbox-based task decomposition breaks large goals into 3-7 micro-tasks
- First uncompleted checkbox pulses gently to answer "What do I do now?"
The Micro-Win System
- XP counter with animated progression makes achievement tangible
- Streak system with fire emoji creates continuity and investment
- Three-level progress visualization ensures progress is always visible
Creating Emotional Safety
- Dark mode by default reduces visual overstimulation
- Lexend font family scientifically designed for readability
- Completed assignments gray out but don't disappear to preserve achievement visibility