STARCHILD: a Focus Tool for Kids

How can we help children ages 8-12 with ADHD develop focus and structure in a fun and engaging way?

Project Brief

Academic Project

Scope: 5 weeks

Starchild is a daily scheduling app designed for children with ADHD and their parents. It helps parents create and break down tasks into manageable steps, reducing overwhelm for kids. The app features a reward system to motivate children, a Pomodoro-style timer to boost focus, and a mood tracker with positive affirmations to encourage emotional well-being.

Objectives

App Prototype

Build an original prototype for a mobile app that solves a specific problem for a target audience and addresses an issue of equity

Visual Identity

Determine the overall look and direction of the application’s branding

Wireframe

Create user flows that show the paths through screens the users would need to complete specific tasks within the app

Research Methods & Takeaways

Despite the presence of other calendar and productivity apps, Starchild stands out as a unique product with no direct competition, which initially made competitive analysis challenging. If Starchild becomes the first to specifically support children ages 9-12 with ADHD in managing their daily routines, it has the potential to be a major disruptor and game-changer in the Child Development, EdTech, and Productivity sectors.

I structured my research around understanding the specific needs and pain points of the target users. Due to ethical and practical limitations, I conducted interviews with college students, asking them to reflect on their childhood experiences and how ADHD still impacts them today.

To gain deeper insights into Starchild’s users and ADHD, I employed several research methods, including:

Interviews
User personas
Affinity mapping
Usability testing

What I Learned

Users often struggle with multitasking, staying motivated to complete schoolwork, and feeling so overwhelmed that they avoid starting tasks altogether.
Positive affirmations and gamification have been shown to enhance confidence and productivity.
A noticeable difference exists between adults who received parental support for their ADHD during childhood and those who did not receive adequate attention.
Children with ADHD often require additional guidance on learning how to break tasks into smaller, manageable steps, such as through methods like the Pomodoro technique.

Users often struggle with multitasking, staying motivated to complete schoolwork, and feeling so overwhelmed that they avoid starting tasks altogether.

Positive affirmations and gamification have been shown to enhance confidence and productivity.

A noticeable difference exists between adults who received parental support for their ADHD during childhood and those who did not receive adequate attention.

Children with ADHD often require additional guidance on learning how to break tasks into smaller, manageable steps, such as through methods like the Pomodoro technique.

Creating a Playful and Engaging Brand

After exploring various educational and gamified children's apps, I selected the color palette and designed the logo. It was essential to create an aesthetic that felt playful, visually engaging, and friendly. Below is the style guide I developed to define the visual elements of the app:

The app’s core navigation centers around a calendar that breaks down daily tasks, with parents able to set rewards for completed tasks. I also incorporated a mood tracker, allowing children to log their emotions or ADHD-related symptoms and receive positive affirmations as feedback. Additionally, I included a timer that uses the Pomodoro technique, which encourages focus by seperating tasks into short, timed intervals with breaks in between.

After the style tile was created, I decided to start sketching and exploring all of the different ideas I had for each of the different sketches

Wireframes

Then it was time to connect information architecture to visual design by showing paths between screens of the application! I created a series of wireframes to detail exactly how each step would go, then incorporated the branding to all of the different UI elements.

After conducting usability tests on my classmates, I expanded the navigation and tweaked the visual design slightly then presented my final design to the cohort.

Summary & Takeaways

The prevalence of mental disorders in children is on the rise, and I strongly believe that technology has the potential to address this. This topic is challenging and aims to transform the way children with ADHD are treated. By creating an app that encourages positive reinforcement and empowers children with ADHD to complete their tasks, I am challenging the negative stigma surrounding this disorder and providing a new solution to help them succeed.

Next Steps

Design screens that allow children to track their progress toward earning rewards and view a summary of their moods throughout the month.

User test on children ages 8-12 to test usability and success rates