FocusBuddy is a tool that helps people with ADHD to multitask and stay focused. It uses a combination of techniques to help you stay focused, including timeboxing, pomodoro, and the pomodoro technique.
Key Achievements
/ 1
Conducted interviews with over 100 University of Utah students to gather feedback on the registration system, identify demands for new features, and understand the most important features and critical issues in the current system.
/ 2
Designed the initial user interface for Acdemix, focusing on creating an intuitive and user-friendly experience. Collaborated closely with developers to ensure the successful delivery of the first edition, aligning the design with technical requirements.
/ 3
Collaborated closely with developers to ensure the successful delivery of the first edition, aligning the design with technical requirements. Collected feedback from test users, analyzed their input, and implemented multiple iterations to enhance usability and address user needs effectively.
Problem Statement
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder characterized by a chronic condition.
Individuals with ADHD often experience symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
People with ADHD frequently struggle with being easily distracted by external stimuli, organizing their lives,
paying attention, being forgetful in their daily activities, and having difficulty following through with tasks.
According to data from NCBI, 5-7.2% of youth and 2.5-6.7% of adults worldwide have ADHD.
Therefore, finding ways to help individuals with ADHD manage their lives and improve their quality of life is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.
Users with ADHD experience needs a way to help them mange their daily tasks, enabling them working, living more effectively and stay more focus, because the influence of ADHD brings to them are negative, and causes some problems.
Project Goal
This project aims to find an effective way to connect technology with behavior therapy,
helping people with ADHD become more focused and successful in completing their tasks and improving their overall quality of life.
Interview Goals
- Understand the challenges people with ADHD face when they have various tasks to finish.
- Identify the ways that people try to overcome the difficulties that ADHD brings to them.
- Understand how people's think and feel when they use technology media.
Target participants characteristics
Interview Questions
- How do you manage your daily tasks?
- Do you use any devices to help you manage your daily life?
- What is you motivation when you can be concentrate
- How do you think your challenges can be solved?
SAYS
- ...Sometimes I use the notebook app on my phone to help me manage my tasks...
- I'm very easily attracted by other things...
- I have tried many ways to make myself more concentrated.
- ...I think the biggest challenge that a person with ADHD faces is not knowing how to start when confronted with so many tasks.....
THINKS
- Wants an app to help me manage her notes
- Wants a smart calendar
- Don't wants too many fancy functions, just wants simple features on the app
User
DOES
- A housewives has three kids
- Always write down next week's task on fridge's sticker in advance.
- Has lots of notebooks to jogged down the thing.
FEELS
- Upset when talking about difficult to mange tasks
- Excited to hear about the project is trying to solve the problems
- worried about whether the project will works for her
User Pain Points
Some products in the market have many advertisements, making it easy for users to get distracted
Current product features often don't align with ADHD users' habits and routines
Professional cognitive behavior therapy is expensive for long-term training
Users often lack motivation to follow current ADHD software instructions
While mobile phones can help manage tasks, they can also lead to distraction
Users don't want to rely on medication continuously
Hypothesis Statement
We believe that developing an app specifically tailored to the habits
of ADHD users and incorporating the feature of professional behavior
therapy will decrease the negative influence by ADHD, and help them live more effectively.
Ideation
By analyzing the empathy map, pain points and project goals, we ideaed some solutions.
Goal Statement
Our Focus-buddy app will help users manage their tasks more easily, being more concentrated, which will affect users with ADHD experiences trained to become more focus by combining behavior therapy with task management together.
We will measure effectiveness by analyzing the drop-off rates and conversion rates
Wireframes
Low Fidelity Prototype
The first iteration of the app
Quantitive research
Research Questions
(Total 30 participants)
Questionnaire
What do you think about the multi-threaded task management function?
Jane
I think it's super helpful for staying organized. Breaking tasks into smaller parts makes everything feel more doable, and seeing progress would keep me motivated.
Jay
...It sounds useful for staying on top of tasks, but I wonder if juggling multiple threads might feel overwhelming for some people...
Mia
...like the idea, but I'd worry about getting distracted and jumping between threads without actually finishing anything.
What's your overall experience when trying this new methods to manage your tasks?
Corey
It's been really effective—it helps me stay on track without spending too much time stuck on one task.
Booker
It's been a game-changer! Breaking tasks into smaller steps works really well with how my brain processes things.
Ava
This approach keeps me from hyper-focusing, which has made a big difference in getting more done overall.
What challenges, if any, have you faced while using this method?
Denise
Sometimes, I still hyper-focus and forget to move to the next task.
Amy
It can feel a bit overwhelming to balance multiple threads at first.
Mira
I struggle to set realistic time limits for each task.
Does the method make you feel more in control of your day?
Justin
Mostly—it gives me structure, but sometimes I feel like I'm racing against the clock to switch tasks on time.
Noah
...A little—I like having a system, but I still struggle with balancing my energy throughout the day.
Jane
Mostly—while it organizes my tasks, I sometimes feel less in control when I have to stop a task before I'm ready.
Does this method help you feel more productive? Why or why not?
Jane
Yes, absolutely. I feel like I'm achieving more because I'm not stuck in one place for too long.
Jay
Mostly, but I think I'd be even more productive with more reminders to stay focused during each thread.
Mia
Not always—it's helpful, but sometimes the forced switching makes me feel like I'm not doing my best work.
Usability Testing Findings
- Users struggle to locate key features due to unclear menu labels.
- Some users noted that there is still a need to improve accessibility features, such as enhancing color contrast for individuals with visual impairments.
- Some users take longer than expected to complete tasks.
- While some users found that multi-threaded methods are useful in addressing their difficulty deciding which task to finish, others struggled to set aside sufficient time to complete their goals.
- It’s not just about providing users with ADHD a platform to manage their tasks; more importantly, it’s about helping them alleviate the stress and anxiety they face in their daily lives.
- The time limits help users stay aware of how much time they’re spending on each task, preventing over-focus and promoting balanced productivity.
- Users suggested reminders or alerts to help them stay focused within each thread or to remind them to switch tasks, but it might also causes some part of users anxiety.
What I Have Learned
Based on the feedback I collected, I will revisit my design and reconsider the behavior models of individuals with ADHD during task completion. Rather than focusing solely on decision-making processes, thinking about how to solve this part, I will delve into deeper cognitive aspects to address the problem more effectively and research from the psychological angle.