Master’s Project - AppEase
Product Type:
Mobile App
Roles:
Student
Tools Used:
Figma
Time period:
05/2022
Overview
- App.Ease is a mobile application concept developed as part of my Master’s at Politecnico di Milano
- Focused on inclusive design for neurodiverse individuals, specifically those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Level 1, also known as Asperger’s syndrome.
- The project aimed to explore how design can foster social inclusivity and emotional wellbeing for individuals who often experience anxiety, overstimulation, and difficulty navigating social environments.
- Through user research, interviews, and co-design sessions with people on the autism spectrum, our team identified opportunities to create a safe, calming, and empathetic social platform.
- The result was a mobile experience designed around neurodiverse needs rather than neurotypical assumptions.
Key Features
- A ‘Calm Down Room’, providing users with a space to decompress during moments of sensory overload.
- A Chatbot companion for emotional reflection and journaling.
- Emotional tagging and delayed chat timing, designed to reduce anxiety in digital communication.
Project Start
Challenge
Designing for neurodiverse users required breaking away from conventional social app patterns that assume fast-paced interaction and high information density.
Key challenges included:
- Understanding the sensory and emotional triggers that can make digital communication overwhelming.
- Translating abstract emotional and psychological needs into tangible interface features.
- Balancing social connectivity with the need for personal space and emotional safety.
- Ensuring the product did not stigmatise users or reinforce stereotypes around autism.
Goals
- Develop a digital space centred on neurodiverse communication needs, rather than typical social app conventions.
- Reduce anxiety and overstimulation through calm interaction design and minimal sensory load.
- Encourage emotional awareness and reflection through conversational and journaling tools.
- Build features that help users feel in control of their pace of interaction.
- Promote inclusivity by designing with, not just for, individuals with ASD through co-research and user testing.
Constraints
- Limited access to participants due to the sensitive nature of the topic and data privacy.
- The project was conducted in an academic context, meaning no production environment or real data.
- Balancing research time with design and prototyping under a tight academic schedule.
- Need to design for inclusivity without overgeneralising ASD experiences -each participant had unique sensitivities and interaction preferences.
Research and Presentation
Technical Documentation
Interactive Prototype
Outcome & Impact
- Our team was awarded highest possible marks for the project.
Key Learnings
- Engaging directly with individuals with ASD taught me that inclusivity is not about simplifying design, but about providing flexibility and choice in how people interact with products.
- Emotional insight was valuable, but it needed to be supported by structured research. User interviews, surveys, and observation ensured our solutions were grounded in reality, not assumption.
- Features like delayed chat timing and soft animations proved that subtle adjustments to pace and feedback can significantly reduce stress and overstimulation.
- This project reinforced that inclusive design is not a one-time feature set but a continuous mindset, something that evolves through feedback, iteration, and openness to different perspectives.
Master’s Project - AppEase
Product Type:
Mobile App
Roles:
Student
Tools Used:
Figma
Time period:
05/2022
Overview
- App.Ease is a mobile application concept developed as part of my Master’s at Politecnico di Milano
- Focused on inclusive design for neurodiverse individuals, specifically those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Level 1, also known as Asperger’s syndrome.
- The project aimed to explore how design can foster social inclusivity and emotional wellbeing for individuals who often experience anxiety, overstimulation, and difficulty navigating social environments.
- Through user research, interviews, and co-design sessions with people on the autism spectrum, our team identified opportunities to create a safe, calming, and empathetic social platform.
- The result was a mobile experience designed around neurodiverse needs rather than neurotypical assumptions.
Key Features
- A ‘Calm Down Room’, providing users with a space to decompress during moments of sensory overload.
- A Chatbot companion for emotional reflection and journaling.
- Emotional tagging and delayed chat timing, designed to reduce anxiety in digital communication.
Project Start
Challenge
Designing for neurodiverse users required breaking away from conventional social app patterns that assume fast-paced interaction and high information density.
Key challenges included:
- Understanding the sensory and emotional triggers that can make digital communication overwhelming.
- Translating abstract emotional and psychological needs into tangible interface features.
- Balancing social connectivity with the need for personal space and emotional safety.
- Ensuring the product did not stigmatise users or reinforce stereotypes around autism.
Goals
- Develop a digital space centred on neurodiverse communication needs, rather than typical social app conventions.
- Reduce anxiety and overstimulation through calm interaction design and minimal sensory load.
- Encourage emotional awareness and reflection through conversational and journaling tools.
- Build features that help users feel in control of their pace of interaction.
- Promote inclusivity by designing with, not just for, individuals with ASD through co-research and user testing.
Constraints
- Limited access to participants due to the sensitive nature of the topic and data privacy.
- The project was conducted in an academic context, meaning no production environment or real data.
- Balancing research time with design and prototyping under a tight academic schedule.
- Need to design for inclusivity without overgeneralising ASD experiences -each participant had unique sensitivities and interaction preferences.
Research and Presentation
Technical Documentation
Interactive Prototype
Outcome & Impact
- Our team was awarded highest possible marks for the project.
Key Learnings
- Engaging directly with individuals with ASD taught me that inclusivity is not about simplifying design, but about providing flexibility and choice in how people interact with products.
- Emotional insight was valuable, but it needed to be supported by structured research. User interviews, surveys, and observation ensured our solutions were grounded in reality, not assumption.
- Features like delayed chat timing and soft animations proved that subtle adjustments to pace and feedback can significantly reduce stress and overstimulation.
- This project reinforced that inclusive design is not a one-time feature set but a continuous mindset, something that evolves through feedback, iteration, and openness to different perspectives.