This project gave me the opportunity to build awareness around the experiences of neurodiverse individuals. While I don’t have lived experience myself, I believe in the power of design to support inclusion, understanding, and community.
Role:
UI/UX Designer & Researcher
Industry:
Digital Design
Duration:
5 weeks
Challenges
The limitations of current well-being or therapy-based apps not only hinder neurodiverse individuals’ abilities to self-express, but also restrict the dynamic learning and interaction they need to build their social communication and sensory skills. In the end, it just makes day-to-day life harder than it should be, with no real route for progress.
My Approach
Research
Initial Problem Discovery: The main problem I aim to address is the lack of awareness of music as music therapy for neurodivergence and the challenge of these materials being accessible and also affordable. Remote therapy, while offering flexibility and expert guidance, often fall short in providing the most relevant and updated therapy materials and well-being exercises.
Desk Research
Mental Health Challenges
Neurodiverse individuals often require support with mental health and well-being.
Challenges such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders can arise.
These issues impact key areas of life including work, relationships, and finances.
Healthy Living
Many individuals face unhealthy habits due to limited time, resources, or motivation.
Difficulties forming routines affect overall physical health (e.g., eating habits).
Certain neurodivergent conditions can impact sleep, further disrupting healthy living.
Lack of Access to Music Therapy
Existing apps often lack integrated features such as guided meditations or music players.
Access to therapeutic audio content may be restricted behind paywalls.
This limits affordability and inclusivity for users who could benefit.
Synthesis
As part of my research for NeuroVerse, I watched an in-person interview with Rachael Davina, a neurodivergent individual later diagnosed with ADHD. Hearing her speak about isolation at school, the frustration of being told to stay quiet, and the relief of finally embracing her diagnosis as a “superpower” gave me a moment of real cognitive empathy, influencing how I shaped the user experience of NeuroVerse.
This reminded me of George Orwell’s belief in nurturing curiosity and empathy through lived experience, which he wrote about in Down and Out in Paris and London. Inspired by this, I reached out to UK-based music therapists Carla Jacobs and Natalie Morrison, who shared how music supports neurodiverse children in emotional regulation, communication, and self-expression. Additional insights from Matthias Stapleton highlighted the power of improvisation in therapy. These experiences shaped NeuroVerse into a solution rooted in empathy, inclusivity, and real music therapy practices.
I could now gather Pain Points:
Overstimulating apps with too many pop ups or notifications
Mental health tools that feel too clinical or text heavy
Struggling to put her emotions into words when she feels dysregulated
Results
Design Decision (colour palette): The next major design decision was deciding on the colour palette. After conducting colour theory research, I purposefully used blue and purple hues, as blue is known for its calming psychological effects, enhancing the app’s therapeutic atmosphere.
Design System: With the creation, iteration, and completion of many wireframes, I successfully finalised the UI designs, ensuring consistency across the app. The design system includes standardised elements such as color schemes, typography, button styles, and iconography, all chosen to enhance usability and create a cohesive, intuitive user experience.
Stakeholder Engagement Feedback: Implementing different types of audio like music with diegetic sounds, and music with white noise, slow music and more as music is subjective and ‘what is uplifting music to one person isn’t uplifting to another person.’
Conclusion
Conclusion: Designing and prototyping this app was a significant challenge, as it marked my first experience creating a digital product from the ground up. However, it reflects my commitment to pushing my boundaries as a UX/UI designer and embracing personal growth through each stage of the process.
