ADHD & Product Design: Designing for Focus, Not Just Features

Skip the tour, cut the steps, and keep people focused on why they opened your app.

I downloaded a notes and reminders app designed to help people with ADHD take notes and set reminders, but the onboarding process and full app tour immediately turned me off. As a user, I just want to skip the tour and start using the app. I understand that creating a unique MVP and integrating AI can be valuable, but these days, many apps seem to force AI and other unnecessary features and interactions on users simply to appear unique.

A better approach would be to avoid lengthy app tours and reduce the number of onboarding steps to minimize friction. AI features should also be optional rather than the core of simple apps whose purpose is to boost productivity and make users’ lives easier.

To save you time, here is what ADHD means.

So what can be done to make it better, it can be very simple and easy to follow we can just take it as an inclusion and not particularly, designing for people with ADHD it can help the overall users as it reduces cognitive load plus save time and keep the user focused for the thing he/she was opened that app and not distracting from their goal this was the whole point from the start which sells an app. ADHD presents differently in every person, so we should treat these patterns as design considerations, not a person. Here are a few things to consider before designing anything to improve your designs.

1. Reduce the cost of getting started.

The most difficult stage in any application is the very first tap; Every extra decision before a user can act is another chance for them to abandon it.

What to do instead:

• Make the main action clear and easy to carry out; One definite next step is better than having twelve different options.
• Split large tasks into small and specific initial steps because ‘write a report’ is overwhelming, whereas ‘open the document and write one sentence’ is something that can be carried out.
• Set sensible default options so that people do not have to configure things before they experience the benefits.
• Allow users to begin using the system before they have completed the setup process and delay creating their account, setting their preferences, and uploading their profile photos.

2. Respect the working memory

By requiring users to remember something from the previous screen, you’re placing your responsibility on the part of their brain that is already under a great deal of strain.

• Make it clear what the context is. Show how far along you are, the current step and indicate what comes next.
• Prefer recognition to recall. Rather than having blank fields, provide a range of options, suggestions, and recent entries.
• Make sure to save everything automatically, since losing a form that is only partially completed is not only frustrating but can in fact end the entire session.

Make resuming easy. “Pick up where you left off” is one of the least appreciated aspects of product design.

3. Let people shape the experience

Let people take part in shaping the experience. Give users ways to share feedback, make choices and add their own ideas. This makes them feel involved. When people have a say, they care more and are more likely to use the product.

There is no one design that suits all individuals, this is also the case of ADHD. While some people prefer more structure, others find it oppressive. Moreover, although some people find visual timers helpful others find them stressful.

Flexibility is the real solution:

• Customizable layouts, reminders and views
• Multiple ways to capture and organize information
• Options to simplify or expand features over time

A quick checklist

Before you ship, ask:

• Can a new user carry out one significant action in less than a minute?
• Does the outcome depend on the user remembering information from somewhere else?
• Are time and deadlines given in concrete terms?
• Is it possible for users to control notifications exactly?
• What do you do when a person goes missing for two weeks and then returns?
• Does the copy ever express disappointment towards the user?
• Is the interface calm enough to allow concentration?

The bigger point

Thinking about ADHD when designing doesn’t mean including special features; it means getting rid of the unspoken assumptions that make products difficult to use, such as the idea that users will remember, will start using them right away, will follow a straightforward path, and won’t ever fall behind.

If you design with people who have the greatest difficulty in adhering to those assumptions in mind, you’ll end up creating something better for all; it will be clearer, kinder and more resilient. The best approach to achieving this is to talk to people who have ADHD, observe the way they actually use your product and let their experience, not a set of tips, lead your decisions.

ADHD & Product Design: Designing for Focus, Not Just Features was originally published in Bootcamp on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.