Context.
Autism360 is a start-up, who offer parents and carers an advanced digital therapeutic platform to support Autistic children in their care. They provide expert therapist content in the form of self-paced courses, face-to-face real-time therapist online consultations, resources, and community support.
I joined a small in-house product team as their first official UX Designer. My main task was to conduct a User Experience (UX) audit for the Autism360 app on Android and iOS devices, as well as work on a backlog of design tasks by collaborating with stakeholders, senior React development engineers, test engineers, and other colleagues.
ux workshop.
To kick things off, I held a face-to-face UX workshop with 3 key decision-makers: the CEO, the CTO (Chief Technology Officer), and the COO (Chief Operations Officer).
During the UX workshop, I facilitated discussions to understand what users’ experience with Autism360 should be. We brainstormed how users should feel, what they should learn, and what they should understand about the product. I also empowered stakeholders to pinpoint areas needing the most work and helped them prioritise those topics.
Over lunch, I took a productive step in organising the valuable information gathered in the morning session. I facilitated a card sorting exercise after lunch, where we categorised key findings under three main themes: User Needs, Company Goals, and Design Considerations.
This insightful exercise helped us identify the most critical aspects within each category:
- User Needs: Users expressed a strong desire to understand their child’s developmental journey and progress within the app. There was also a clear interest in accessing Autism360 user reviews to gain further insights.
- Company Goals: Prioritising clear communication about Autism360’s mission, research-backed approach, and reputation was paramount to the team.
- Design Considerations: Personalisation for each unique child’s needs, robust security, user-friendly interface, and a clear trial and pricing structure emerged as key design considerations.
Building upon this momentum, I then created user statements based on our earlier discussions. This allowed stakeholders to actively participate by placing these statements under the relevant issues they addressed.
Reflecting on the user needs identified earlier, we prioritised streamlining the mobile app’s onboarding process. This focus ensured users could get started quickly and begin experiencing the app’s benefits. Thankfully, key stakeholders were aligned with our goals and readily supported the achievable improvements we could implement within the timeframe.
To further deepen our understanding of Autism360 users, I facilitated a follow-up online workshop using Zoom. This interactive session involved an empathy mapping exercise. Through this activity, we explored various user aspects: what users say, think, do, and feel.
revised onboarding flow for new users, after registering on the website.
user testing.
Eager to understand the user experience firsthand, I dived into the Autism360 app. My mission: to replicate the steps a typical user would take, from initial sign-up to navigating the app’s features. To ensure a comprehensive perspective, I explored the app on two platforms:
- My personal iPhone: This allowed me to experience the app in its intended release state, just as any user would download it from the App Store.
- TestFlight: This platform, designed for pre-release testing, provided a valuable glimpse into the app’s functionality before its official launch.
By using both environments, I could identify any potential discrepancies between the development and final user experience.
The following screenshots capture key moments of my exploration, offering a visual representation of the sign-up, login, and exploration process within the Autism360 app.
ideation & prototyping.
During a later online presentation, I focused on strengthening the connection between the Autism360 brand identity and the app’s design aesthetic. I showcased a mood board that visually represented this concept.
Additionally, I proposed illustrative UI designs with the goal of achieving wider user appeal. These designs prioritised a balance between modern sensibilities and enduring relevance, ensuring they stay visually current for an extended period. This was particularly important as a soft marketing launch was immanent which would expand their product to markets in the USA, UK, IRE, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Encouraged by the CEO’s positive feedback on the design direction, I began developing wireframes to explore improved app functionality and clarity.
I proposed an iterative improvement process, focusing on backlog refinement, and a completely redesigned user experience in tandem. This new UX would prioritise a balanced visual hierarchy, enhancing user appeal while simultaneously strengthening the Autism360 brand identity and offering.
Concept designs for Program and Sessions app landing pages using captivating new illustrations and user-centric copy.
Goals:
- Enhance visual appeal with non-cultural specific illustrations.
- Improve content clarity and user engagement.
- Guide visitors effectively towards desired actions.
Key Features:
- Engaging Illustrations: Replace generic photos with custom illustrations that match brand identity and program/session theme.
- User-Friendly Copy: Clear headlines, strong verbs, and benefit-driven content ensure visitors understand the value proposition.
- Scannable Format: Bite-sized information with headings and white space for easy navigation.
- Strategic Layout: Logical flow guides users through key information.
- Prominent CTA: A clear call-to-action button encourages next steps.
Benefits:
- Increased visitor engagement.
- Improved understanding of program/session value.
- Higher conversion rates from visitors to participants.
more concepts.
Result.
While my time at Autism360 came to an end due to unforeseen circumstances, I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute these design ideas and concepts to a notable service that supports the disability sector and their carers.
Despite the designs not being implemented in the latest iOS or Android app iteration, they remain valuable assets within Autism360’s design repository.
Related Projects.
