The Challenge
Adults with ADHD face persistent challenges in focusing, initiating tasks, managing time, and staying organized, which can negatively impact work, relationships, and self-esteem.
Adults with ADHD face persistent challenges in focusing, initiating tasks, managing time, and staying organized, which can negatively impact work, relationships, and self-esteem.
Most productivity tools inadvertently exacerbate challenges by requiring rigid schedules, sustained attention, and constant self-monitoring, highlighting the need for solutions designed to align with the cognitive needs of individuals with ADHD.
Most productivity tools inadvertently exacerbate challenges by requiring rigid schedules, sustained attention, and constant self-monitoring, highlighting the need for solutions designed to align with the cognitive needs of individuals with ADHD.
Global population
affected by ADHD
Increase in ADHD diagnosis
in adults 2021-2024
User Research
Findings from 35+ survey participants and 8 interviews
Time Management & Energy
Time blindness makes it difficult to estimate task durations and fluctuating energy levels frequently prevent task follow-through.
Task Initiation Paralysis
Participants reported struggles with task initiation. Rigid tools increase cognitive load and lead to abandoned to-do lists.
Social Motivation
Community support and visible progress among peers increased engagement more than abstract rewards.
Distraction Recovery
Participants noted that interruptions often lead to a loss of momentum, causing them to drift into unintended tasks.
Need for Control
Tools that remove autonomy and dictate what needs to be done increased stress. Users desire transparency and the ability to override suggestions.
Task Initiation Paralysis
Participants reported struggles with task initiation.
Rigid tools increase cognitive load and lead to abandoned to-do lists.
Social Motivation
Community support and visible progress among peers increased engagement more than abstract rewards.
Distraction Recovery
Participants noted that interruptions often lead to a loss of momentum, causing them to drift into unintended tasks.
Need for Control
Tools that remove autonomy and dictate what needs to be done increased stress. Users desire transparency and the ability to override suggestions.
Time Management & Energy
Time blindness makes it difficult to estimate task durations and fluctuating energy levels frequently prevent task follow-through.
Our Solution
Aura Focus: An adaptive Augmented Reality based task-assistant
Aura Focus reframes task management as an embodied, environment-aware experience that externalizes working memory and reduces cognitive load through spatial anchoring, voice interaction, and adaptive intelligence.
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Key Features
AR Spatial Anchors: Tasks are visually "anchored" to relevant physical objects in the user's environment (e.g., a "Start Dishwasher" reminder floating over the actual dishwasher) to externalize working memory
Voice Control & Smart Parsing: Users can capture tasks naturally via voice commands ("Hey Aura"), which the system automatically parses to detect context, time, and location
Smart Prioritization: The system organizes tasks not just by urgency, but by "Energy Level" (Low, Medium, High) to help users balance their cognitive load
Adaptive Guidance & Distraction Control: Users adjust support via a slider from gentle guidance to step by step prompts, while inactivity triggers light nudges or next task prompts to reduce distraction and decision fatigue
Gamification & Social Motivation: The tool includes a "Leaderboard of Friends," a points system, and streak tracking to build momentum and provide accountability
Positive Feedback Loops: To prevent guilt or discouragement, the system highlights "Golden Hours" of focus and rolls over incomplete tasks neutrally rather than marking them as failures
The Process
Prototyping & Iteration
Analog Validation We began with a low-fidelity paper prototype, using sticky notes to simulate AR task cards and paper puzzle pieces to test gamification mechanics.
Critical Design Pivots Usability testing exposed key friction points, driving three major refinements:
From Puzzles to Connection: Users found puzzles unmotivating, so we pivoted to a social leaderboard to provide accountability and connection.
Restoring Autonomy: To address frustration with "rigid AI," we introduced a Manual Override slot and an Assistance Slider, giving users control over their schedule and prompt frequency.
Reducing Guilt: We replaced "failed" status indicators with neutral "Rollover" tasks and "Golden Hour" visualizations to highlight focus rather than missed deadlines.
Digital Translation (Figma) We translated these validated flows into a high-fidelity interactive Figma MVP, allowing us to simulate complex logic like spacial anchors and smart prioritization prior to defining the final AR specifications.
My Role: Bridging Insight & Strategy
Role: UX Researcher & Product Manager
As a UX Researcher and Product Manager, I was responsible for aligning our design decisions with both user needs and technical feasibility.
On the research side, I led the inquiry into the lived experiences of adults with ADHD, helping synthesize data from surveys and interviews into actionable insights about executive dysfunction. Together with my team, I ideated, prototyped, tested, and iterated on the core experience, helping evolve our concept from low-fidelity paper models into a validated, high-fidelity Figma MVP based on direct usability insights.
As Product Manager, I defined the product scope and technical requirements, ensuring our solution evolved from a broad concept into a viable "Interactive MVP" with clear specifications for AR hardware, sensors, and software capabilities. I worked closely with the design team to prioritize features like "Smart Prioritization" and "Spatial Anchoring" that directly addressed our core problem statement.
Role: UX Researcher & Product Manager
As a UX Researcher and Product Manager, I was responsible for aligning our design decisions with both user needs and technical feasibility.
On the research side, I led the inquiry into the lived experiences of adults with ADHD, helping synthesize data from surveys and interviews into actionable insights about executive dysfunction.
Design Execution: Together with my team, I ideated, prototyped, tested, and iterated on the core experience, helping evolve our concept from low-fidelity paper models into a validated, high-fidelity Figma MVP based on direct usability insights.
As Product Manager, I defined the product scope and technical requirements, ensuring our solution evolved from a broad concept into a viable "Interactive MVP" with clear specifications for AR hardware, sensors, and software capabilities. I worked closely with the design team to prioritize features like "Smart Prioritization" and "Spatial Anchoring" that directly addressed our core problem statement.
Role: UX Researcher & Product Manager
As a UX Researcher and Product Manager, I was responsible for aligning our design decisions with both user needs and technical feasibility.
On the research side, I led the inquiry into the lived experiences of adults with ADHD, helping synthesize data from surveys and interviews into actionable insights about executive dysfunction.
Design Execution: Together with my team, I ideated, prototyped, tested, and iterated on the core experience, helping evolve our concept from low-fidelity paper models into a validated, high-fidelity Figma MVP based on direct usability insights.
As Product Manager, I defined the product scope and technical requirements, ensuring our solution evolved from a broad concept into a viable "Interactive MVP" with clear specifications for AR hardware, sensors, and software capabilities. I worked closely with the design team to prioritize features like "Smart Prioritization" and "Spatial Anchoring" that directly addressed our core problem statement.
Reflections & Future Roadmap
What We Learned: Autonomy Over Automation Our biggest realization was that "smart" automation isn't enough for neurodivergent users, trust is built through agency. While our initial concept relied heavily on AI to dictate schedules, user testing proved that people with ADHD need flexibility, not rigidity. We shifted our design philosophy from "managing" the user to empowering them, ensuring the system acts as a supportive partner rather than a strict enforcer.
The Road Ahead: Moving forward, the focus would shift to the physical constraints of the hardware. To make Aura Focus a viable daily tool, the next phase of development would address:
Hardware Ergonomics: Refining the weight distribution and thermal management to ensure the glasses are comfortable for all-day wear.
AI Model Training: Developing the machine learning datasets required to accurately predict "energy levels" based on historical user behavior without constant manual input.
Privacy Architecture: Establishing robust cloud data management to ensure sensitive user data regarding location and behavioral patterns remains secure.
What We Learned: Autonomy Over Automation Our biggest realization was that "smart" automation isn't enough for neurodivergent users, trust is built through agency. While our initial concept relied heavily on AI to dictate schedules, user testing proved that people with ADHD need flexibility, not rigidity. We shifted our design philosophy from "managing" the user to empowering them, ensuring the system acts as a supportive partner rather than a strict enforcer.
The Road Ahead: Moving forward, the focus would shift to the physical constraints of the hardware. To make Aura Focus a viable daily tool, the next phase of development would address:
Hardware Ergonomics: Refining the weight distribution and thermal management to ensure the glasses are comfortable for all-day wear.
AI Model Training: Developing the machine learning datasets required to accurately predict "energy levels" based on historical user behavior without constant manual input.
Privacy Architecture: Establishing robust cloud data management to ensure sensitive user data regarding location and behavioral patterns remains secure.
What We Learned: Autonomy Over Automation Our biggest realization was that "smart" automation isn't enough for neurodivergent users, trust is built through agency. While our initial concept relied heavily on AI to dictate schedules, user testing proved that people with ADHD need flexibility, not rigidity. We shifted our design philosophy from "managing" the user to empowering them, ensuring the system acts as a supportive partner rather than a strict enforcer.
The Road Ahead: Moving forward, the focus would shift to the physical constraints of the hardware. To make Aura Focus a viable daily tool, the next phase of development would address:
Hardware Ergonomics: Refining the weight distribution and thermal management to ensure the glasses are comfortable for all-day wear.
AI Model Training: Developing the machine learning datasets required to accurately predict "energy levels" based on historical user behavior without constant manual input.
Privacy Architecture: Establishing robust cloud data management to ensure sensitive user data regarding location and behavioral patterns remains secure.
Conclusion: Solve for one, extend to many
By solving for the constraints of the neurodivergent experience, specifically time blindness and executive dysfunction, we uncovered universal solutions for anyone navigating a high-distraction world. Features like spatial anchoring and energy-based prioritization don't just assist those with ADHD, they offer a more human-centric interface that reduces cognitive load for all users.
Ultimately, Aura Focus redefines productivity not as 'doing more,' but as feeling capable, moving from rigid to-do lists and reminders to an environment that truly understands and supports the ADHD brain.
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