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Project Summary

Spectrum is a networking platform designed to help the neurodivergent community find and apply for opportunities that align with their strengths while fostering community connections with others on the spectrum. Built over 4 days as part of the General Assembly and Adobe Creative Jam, the project placed 27th out of approximately 100 teams with a score of 80 out of 100.

Key Challenges »Narrowing a broad brief about underrepresented creatives to a focused and defensible problem space; Designing an accessible mobile experience under significant time constraints; Balancing the needs of neurodivergent users with the expectations of employers and the broader job market

Role » UX/UI Designer

Methods » Secondary Research, Competitive Analysis, Sketching, Hi-Fi Prototyping

the Challenge

Challenge Statement

Networking and job search platforms were not designed with the neurodivergent community in mind. Cognitive overload from inaccessible interfaces and a hiring process that rewards masking over authenticity makes finding meaningful work and building genuine connections significantly harder for neurodiverse users than it needs to be.

Research Snapshot

Insight #1

Accessibility Gap

Existing platforms were not built with accessibility in mind for neurodivergent users. Without accommodations built into the experience, users are left to navigate interfaces that were never designed for how they process information.

Insight #2

Comfort from Transparency

Transparency about neurodivergence helps candidates avoid unconscious bias upfront. Recruiters on the platform would be aware they are engaging with a neurodivergent community, creating a space where users never have to disclose or mask who they are enabling them to highlight their strengths.

Insight #3

Isolation and Authenticity

The job search process can be isolating for anyone, but for neurodivergent users that isolation is magnified when the spaces available to them are built for and dominated by neurotypical users. Shared experiences and genuine connection create a space where showing up authentically is the default.

Key Design Principles

Simplified Navigation and Clear hierarchy

Neurodivergent users are more susceptible to cognitive overload than neurotypical users. A consistent layout with a clear visual hierarchy reduces the mental effort required to navigate the app, allowing users to focus on finding opportunities rather than figuring out how to use the platform

Accessible Colors and Typography

Color sensitivity and reading difficulties can present differently across the neurodivergent spectrum. Simple colors with strong contrast, clean fonts, and plain language create an experience that works across a range of needs rather than designing for one.

Inclusive Interaction Design

Ambiguity creates friction. Descriptive buttons, simple icons, and visual cues that directly correlate with their function give neurodivergent users the predictability they need to navigate confidently.

Iterations

With 4 days to design and prototype, most major design decisions were made during the sketch phase before moving into Adobe XD.

Final Designs

Design Decisions in Practice

Color Switch

Neurodivergent users can experience heightened sensitivity to certain colors. While the interface was designed with a neurodivergent friendly palette, a color switch was built in to give users full control over their visual experience allowing for change to a black and white colored interface.

Limitation

Cognitive overload involves more than navigation and content. By limiting users to five job applications per day, it helps to prevent overwhelm and keeps the experience focused and manageable.

Simple Icons and Fonts

Throughout the design, text and icons are kept simple and directly correlate with what the user is looking for. Every element serves a clear and direct purpose.

Outcomes

Community First Design

Designed a community platform centered on the lived experiences of the neurodivergent community, highlighting their strengths and promoting empathy from others.

Evidence Based Design

Applied evidence-based accessibility principles to create an experience tailored to the specific needs of our target user base.

Belonging Over Masking

Designed an inclusive space that fosters belonging and authentic self expression rather than masking or adaptation.

Key Takeaway

Accessibility Begins With Empathy

Accessibility is not a feature. It is a foundation. The findings from this project revealed that neurodivergent and neurotypical users share many of the same frustrations. What separated them was the intensity with which each user experiences it. This brought to light the need to remove biases from design decisions and redirect focus to a person's abilities in spite of any challenges they may face.

Next Steps

Test feasibility of concept

Testing the concept with neurodivergent users would be the most critical next step in taking Spectrum from concept to reality, validating where the design hits the mark and where it needs to go further.