Preventing and Recovering from Autistic Burnout Through Energy Accounting

Posi | UX/UI Design and Branding for Mobile App

Overview

My team and I were given the opportunity to design for Posi, a mobile application that aims to assist neurodivergent individuals in preventing and recovering from autistic burnout by providing a daily energy management solution.


The team was entrusted with the considerable task of bringing Posi to life from the ground up. With no prior product or branding guidelines, and only the founder's vision for Posi, we were able to deliver a final mockup of the app's core functions, along with a fully developed style guide and working prototype within a three-week turnaround time.

Team

Eric Houng

Natalie Woo

Nolan Golden

Yoon Han

Timeline

January 2024 | 3-Week Sprint

Tools

Figma, FigJam, ChatGPT, DALL-E 3

View Figma File

View Prototype

Style Guide

Project Brief and Spoon Theory

In our first client meeting with Posi's founder, the team was presented with the app's purpose — to assist adults with autism in preventing and recovering from burnout by teaching energy accounting. In providing a method of monitoring one's energy patterns over time through a simple tracking system and visual tools, Posi would promote self-care and a healthy lifestyle for the marginalized demographic of people exhibiting neurodivergent traits.


Posi's energy accounting system would draw heavily from Christine Miserandino's widely recognized "spoon theory," a concept deeply ingrained within the chronic illness community. In this framework, the term "spoons" symbolizes the finite energy needed for different activities, requiring those with chronic conditions to meticulously plan out schedules in advance to properly manage energy levels.

In our first client meeting with Posi's founder, the team was presented with the app's purpose — to assist adults with autism in preventing and recovering from burnout by teaching energy accounting. In providing a method of monitoring one's energy patterns over time through a simple tracking system and visual tools, Posi would promote self-care and a healthy lifestyle for the marginalized demographic of people exhibiting neurodivergent traits.


Posi's energy accounting system would draw heavily from Christine Miserandino's widely recognized "spoon theory," a concept deeply ingrained within the chronic illness community. In this framework, the term "spoons" symbolizes the finite energy needed for different activities, requiring those with chronic conditions to meticulously plan out schedules in advance to properly manage energy levels.

In our first client meeting with Posi's founder, the team was presented with the app's purpose — to assist adults with autism in preventing and recovering from burnout by teaching energy accounting. In providing a method of monitoring one's energy patterns over time through a simple tracking system and visual tools, Posi would promote self-care and a healthy lifestyle for the marginalized demographic of people exhibiting neurodivergent traits.


Posi's energy accounting system would draw heavily from Christine Miserandino's widely recognized "spoon theory," a concept deeply ingrained within the chronic illness community. In this framework, the term "spoons" symbolizes the finite energy needed for different activities, requiring those with chronic conditions to meticulously plan out schedules in advance to properly manage energy levels.

In our first client meeting with Posi's founder, the team was presented with the app's purpose — to assist adults with autism in preventing and recovering from burnout by teaching energy accounting. In providing a method of monitoring one's energy patterns over time through a simple tracking system and visual tools, Posi would promote self-care and a healthy lifestyle for the marginalized demographic of people exhibiting neurodivergent traits.


Posi's energy accounting system would draw heavily from Christine Miserandino's widely recognized "spoon theory," a concept deeply ingrained within the chronic illness community. In this framework, the term "spoons" symbolizes the finite energy needed for different activities, requiring those with chronic conditions to meticulously plan out schedules in advance to properly manage energy levels.

Research and Building Empathy

After the initial client meeting, the team collectively agreed to dedicate significant time into familiarizing ourselves with neurodivergence and autistic burnout before making any decisions, given our limited knowledge and experience with these topics. The goal during this time was to develop an accurate and academic understanding of the subjects, build empathy with the neurodivergent community by gathering real insights into the daily lives of its individuals, and visualize Posi's potential features and aesthetics.

Research Methods Utilized


  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Surveys

  • Comparative and Competitive Analysis

Research Methods Utilized


  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Surveys

  • Comparative and Competitive Analysis

Research Methods Utilized


  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Surveys

  • Comparative and Competitive Analysis

Research Methods Utilized


  • Literature Review

  • User Interviews

  • Surveys

  • Comparative and Competitive Analysis

Key Insights and Trends Derived from Research


  • Users often do feel a lack of energy by the end of the day. Though they are aware of what specific activities drain their energy, exhaustion gradually creeps up on them and they are unable to realize that they are in an energy deficit until it's already too late. Prolonged and repeated states of exhaustion can lead to autistic burnout, which results in more serious and long-term negative effects to health.

  • Desire for accountability and the concept of community are intertwining trends that feed into one another. Users want to be held accountable to self-care, and through a community bound together by a common struggle, they are motivated to stick to a healthier lifestyle.

  • Accessibility is always something to keep in mind when designing for the neurodivergent community because these individuals can often experience sensory overload.

Key Insights and Trends Derived from Research


  • Users often do feel a lack of energy by the end of the day. Though they are aware of what specific activities drain their energy, exhaustion gradually creeps up on them and they are unable to realize that they are in an energy deficit until it's already too late. Prolonged and repeated states of exhaustion can lead to autistic burnout, which results in more serious and long-term negative effects to health.

  • Desire for accountability and the concept of community are intertwining trends that feed into one another. Users want to be held accountable to self-care, and through a community bound together by a common struggle, they are motivated to stick to a healthier lifestyle.

  • Accessibility is always something to keep in mind when designing for the neurodivergent community because these individuals can often experience sensory overload.

Key Insights and Trends Derived from Research


  • Users often do feel a lack of energy by the end of the day. Though they are aware of what specific activities drain their energy, exhaustion gradually creeps up on them and they are unable to realize that they are in an energy deficit until it's already too late. Prolonged and repeated states of exhaustion can lead to autistic burnout, which results in more serious and long-term negative effects to health.

  • Desire for accountability and the concept of community are intertwining trends that feed into one another. Users want to be held accountable to self-care, and through a community bound together by a common struggle, they are motivated to stick to a healthier lifestyle.

  • Accessibility is always something to keep in mind when designing for the neurodivergent community because these individuals can often experience sensory overload.

Key Insights and Trends Derived from Research


  • Users often do feel a lack of energy by the end of the day. Though they are aware of what specific activities drain their energy, exhaustion gradually creeps up on them and they are unable to realize that they are in an energy deficit until it's already too late. Prolonged and repeated states of exhaustion can lead to autistic burnout, which results in more serious and long-term negative effects to health.

  • Desire for accountability and the concept of community are intertwining trends that feed into one another. Users want to be held accountable to self-care, and through a community bound together by a common struggle, they are motivated to stick to a healthier lifestyle.

  • Accessibility is always something to keep in mind when designing for the neurodivergent community because these individuals can often experience sensory overload.

Exploring the (Posi)bilities

Developing an Aura


Drawing inspiration from spoon theory, Posi’s energy accounting system initially involved tracking a user’s energy levels with “spoons” being the unit of measurement to represent energy. However, after careful consideration, the design team decided to transition away from using spoons to using points as the metric for quantifying a user's energy. With this change, we aimed to refine the app's usability and appeal to a broader audience by implementing a more universally understandable and scalable metric.


We also made the decision to incorporate the concept of an aura to help users visualize energy levels in tandem with the points system. This observable aura would shift and fluctuate in both color and shape, reflecting the app’s evaluation of the user’s energy reserves. Eventually, this idea of an aura became the cornerstone of Posi’s brand identity, driving many of the visual design decisions that were made in the later stages of the app’s development.

Developing an Aura


Drawing inspiration from spoon theory, Posi’s energy accounting system initially involved tracking a user’s energy levels with “spoons” being the unit of measurement to represent energy. However, after careful consideration, the design team decided to transition away from using spoons to using points as the metric for quantifying a user's energy. With this change, we aimed to refine the app's usability and appeal to a broader audience by implementing a more universally understandable and scalable metric.


We also made the decision to incorporate the concept of an aura to help users visualize energy levels in tandem with the points system. This observable aura would shift and fluctuate in both color and shape, reflecting the app’s evaluation of the user’s energy reserves. Eventually, this idea of an aura became the cornerstone of Posi’s brand identity, driving many of the visual design decisions that were made in the later stages of the app’s development.

Developing an Aura


Drawing inspiration from spoon theory, Posi’s energy accounting system initially involved tracking a user’s energy levels with “spoons” being the unit of measurement to represent energy. However, after careful consideration, the design team decided to transition away from using spoons to using points as the metric for quantifying a user's energy. With this change, we aimed to refine the app's usability and appeal to a broader audience by implementing a more universally understandable and scalable metric.


We also made the decision to incorporate the concept of an aura to help users visualize energy levels in tandem with the points system. This observable aura would shift and fluctuate in both color and shape, reflecting the app’s evaluation of the user’s energy reserves. Eventually, this idea of an aura became the cornerstone of Posi’s brand identity, driving many of the visual design decisions that were made in the later stages of the app’s development.

Developing an Aura


Drawing inspiration from spoon theory, Posi’s energy accounting system initially involved tracking a user’s energy levels with “spoons” being the unit of measurement to represent energy. However, after careful consideration, the design team decided to transition away from using spoons to using points as the metric for quantifying a user's energy. With this change, we aimed to refine the app's usability and appeal to a broader audience by implementing a more universally understandable and scalable metric.


We also made the decision to incorporate the concept of an aura to help users visualize energy levels in tandem with the points system. This observable aura would shift and fluctuate in both color and shape, reflecting the app’s evaluation of the user’s energy reserves. Eventually, this idea of an aura became the cornerstone of Posi’s brand identity, driving many of the visual design decisions that were made in the later stages of the app’s development.

Posi's Four Core Functions


Considering the limited scope of this project’s 3-week timeline while also weighing the data and trends pulled from user research, our team concluded that Posi’s initial design would include what we believed to be its core and most necessary features - Onboarding, Dashboard, Insights, and Community.


Observable below are some of our early sketches for these features turned into wireframes.

Posi's Four Core Functions


Considering the limited scope of this project’s 3-week timeline while also weighing the data and trends pulled from user research, our team concluded that Posi’s initial design would include what we believed to be its core and most necessary features - Onboarding, Dashboard, Insights, and Community.


Observable below are some of our early sketches for these features turned into wireframes.

Posi's Four Core Functions


Considering the limited scope of this project’s 3-week timeline while also weighing the data and trends pulled from user research, our team concluded that Posi’s initial design would include what we believed to be its core and most necessary features - Onboarding, Dashboard, Insights, and Community.


Observable below are some of our early sketches for these features turned into wireframes.

Posi's Four Core Functions


Considering the limited scope of this project’s 3-week timeline while also weighing the data and trends pulled from user research, our team concluded that Posi’s initial design would include what we believed to be its core and most necessary features - Onboarding, Dashboard, Insights, and Community.


Observable below are some of our early sketches for these features turned into wireframes.

Onboarding


The primary goal for Posi's onboarding is to keep the process concise while still obtaining and providing all of the necessary information the app and its users would need for a productive user experience. The most crucial aspect of the onboarding process is to clearly communicate the problem Posi aims to combat and how the app can help the user resolve these issues.

Dashboard


With the concept of energy accounting being the heart of Posi, we placed this feature on full display where users would be interacting with the app the most. Representation of the user's current energy level was designed in the form of a circular meter that fills and empties as tasks scheduled for the day are marked as complete. Although not displayed in the wireframe above, the user's aura emanates from the center of the energy meter all the way past the circle's perimeter. The dashboard is also where users are able to view and edit their plan for the day. When adding a new task, users are asked to name the entry and assign how many points Posi would add or subtract from their current total when the task is completed.

Insights


The insights page provides users with a history of task entries along with statistics and trends that Posi derives from previous data. With the insights provided by the app, users are empowered to continually improve on building healthy habits.

Community


The community page is driven by the concept of an "Aurbit" (a clever mashup of the words "aura" and "orbit"). An Aurbit is created when a group of users come together with accountability in mind to support one another's energy goals. Aurbits can also participate in group challenges to reinforce a sense of community and belonging for neurodivergent individuals that often find themselves feeling alone in a world that caters to the neurotypical audience.

Applying Visual Design

Pictured above are the final mockups of the Onboarding, Dashboard, Insights, and Community features with Posi's style guide finalized and applied.

Driven by Accessibility


The team determined that a substantial portion of the app's user base would benefit from a dark theme aimed at reducing visual overstimulation by minimizing bright lights and colors. With the decision made to continue in a dark theme, we were able to construct a color palette that offered adequate contrast against a black background while remaining easy on the eyes through the use of soft pastel tints.


AI Graphics and Brand Identity


A number of graphics (including the Posi auras) were generated through OpenAI's DALL-E 3. The inclusion of these graphics significantly contributed to fostering a unique brand identity for Posi by tying together all of the app's colors and typefaces with a consistent art style that aptly communicates its goals and message.

Final Thoughts

The opportunity to lay down the groundwork for a project like Posi has been both uniquely exciting as well as ambitiously demanding. I'm not sure when I'll ever have another chance at being so involved with all of the different aspects of building a product from scratch, but I'm happy to have experienced this challenge, especially with how exceptionally talented my team was.

View Figma File

View Prototype