Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

GEMI

Empowering ADHD Users Through Gamified Goal-Tracking and Reward Systems

Role
UX/UI+Visual Designer

As the UX/UI, and Visual Designer, I identified the daily challenges faced by individuals with ADHD through in-depth research. Based on these insights, I designed GEMI, an app tailored to address these pain points, and implemented it using a systematic approach to visual design and user interface development.

Project Type

Undergrad Senior Thesis

Duration

1 year (2023-2024)

Guided By

Professor Li, Xinyi
Professor Hamilton, Duncan

Skills

User Research, Prototyping, Product Design, Branding

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

The Problem

Many adults with undiagnosed ADHD struggle in relationships and blame themselves, often leading to low self-esteem, depression, and poor mental health.

The Solution

Design a self-tracking app tailored for individuals with ADHD, combining reliable information, holistic management tools, and personalized support to help users take control of their symptoms and thrive with confidence.
Design a self-tracking app tailored for individuals with ADHD, combining reliable information, holistic management tools, and personalized support to help users take control of their symptoms and thrive with confidence.
Design a self-tracking app tailored for individuals with ADHD, combining reliable information, holistic management tools, and personalized support to help users take control of their symptoms and thrive with confidence.
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

Finding individual Needs & Pains

Users undergoes a brief self-assessment to determine their primary objective for enhancing productivity and identify the most significant barriers preventing them from achieving this goal

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

Keep yourself from Distraction 

Upon entering the Cave, you can immerse yourself in work without distractions from productivity-draining apps like social media. Additionally, you can see your friends' live focus statuses, fostering positive competition and motivation—especially for those with ADHD.

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

Collect Your Gems

By consistently jotting down daily notes and leveraging our instructional tutorials, your 'Organi' gemstone will gradually transform, reflecting your progress. Accumulate these evolving gemstones as a testament to the barriers you've successfully overcome on your journey.

Case Study

Why I conducted this project and why is it important?

Why I conducted this project and why is it important?

Research/ Overview

Scientific understanding → Digital intervention

Scientific understanding → Digital intervention

A visual framework explaining ADHD-related challenges and how specific app features can address them. It breaks down the relationship between brain function issues in ADHD, the real-life challenges those cause, and potential digital solutions.

A visual framework explaining ADHD-related challenges and how specific app features can address them. It breaks down the relationship between brain function issues in ADHD, the real-life challenges those cause, and potential digital solutions.

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Ideate/ Storyboard

A journey to find their inner gemstones

A journey to find their inner gemstones

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Ideate/ Sitemap+Wireframes

Designed to avoiding distractions with minimal information

Designed to avoiding distractions with minimal information

Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design
Michael Carter craft strategic design

Takeaway

The Power of Empathy

At first, I focused on practical, task-based solutions to help users stay organized and improve focus. But soon, I realized that connecting with users on a deeper level was key. By making GEMI a companion on their journey, I used storytelling alongside thoughtfully designed tools to transform the experience from simply functional to truly engaging and supportive. This approach showed me how powerful empathy and understanding can be when tackling the real-life challenges of ADHD.

This project was a challenging yet rewarding experience that emphasized the importance of teamwork and communication. As a long-term project, we had to continuously align on design direction and make compromises to balance user needs with technical constraints.


Open discussions and A/B testing helped us refine our choices and find common ground. I learned the value of flexibility and collaboration, ensuring that our decisions remained focused on creating a user-centered, impactful design while fostering a productive team dynamic.

Press

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