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Mind Way (MA Thesis)

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Mind Way (MA Thesis)

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Mind Way (MA Thesis)

Mind Way (MA Thesis)

Designing an ecosystem for the neurodivergent where inclusion is given, and not an afterthought

Project Duration:

1 Year

Mind Way (MA Thesis)

Designing an ecosystem for the neurodivergent where inclusion is given, and not an afterthought

Project Duration:

1 Year

Mind Way (MA Thesis)

Designing an ecosystem for the neurodivergent where inclusion is given, and not an afterthought

Project Duration:

1 Year

Cognitive accessibility

Inclusive Systems

Human Centered Design

My Role

Lead Designer & Researcher

Process

A hybrid approach combining the Disruptive Design Framework and Human-Centered Design Framework, built upon the foundation of the Double Diamond model.

Status

Full Report Coming Soon

Ever followed directions that felt right but somehow ended up in the wrong place? You’re not alone.

I travel a lot for my part-time job, and being on time is non-negotiable. One day, I had a shift at a store in Liverpool Street Station. I arrived early, feeling relieved until Google Maps decided otherwise. The app said the store was “right around the corner.” I circled the station twice, convinced I’d somehow missed it. Turns out, it was on the ground floor… something I only discovered after asking a store security guard. That was just one of many times Google Maps failed me

Can I stop using Google Maps? No.

Do I need it to change? Absolutely.

If it frustrates me this much, what about the 7 billion people whose brains, all work differently?

Can I stop using Google Maps? No.

Do I need it to change? Absolutely.

If it frustrates me this much, what about the 7 billion people whose brains, all work differently?

Can I stop using Google Maps? No.

Do I need it to change? Absolutely.

If it frustrates me this much, what about the 7 billion people whose brains, all work differently?

Why does this project exist?

Navigation is not intuitive for everyone. Many people with autism, dyslexia, and ADHD and those living between neurotypical and neurodivergent experience navigation as cognitive labour, not guidance. While some adapt, many are left behind.

Today’s systems reward the ideal user experience and quietly create the overwhelmed user experience, reinforcing exclusion.

Today’s systems reward the ideal user experience and quietly create the overwhelmed user experience, reinforcing exclusion.

Today’s systems reward the ideal user experience and quietly create the overwhelmed user experience, reinforcing exclusion.

In the UK alone, 1.2 Million people face learning disabilities. Among them: 10% are dyslexic, 1% are autistic and 5% have ADHD

How much does the exclusion currently cost the businesses?

Current systems prioritise business logic over human logic.

Research

What did I investigate?

Bias, often present in human-made systems, can lead to exclusion. To challenge this, while keeping Double Diamond Design at the base I combined:

  • Destructive Design Framework

  • IDEO Human-Centered Design Framework

Challenging norms, centring users, and balancing desirability, feasibility and viability

How was the problem shaped?

I began with a contextual review spanning navigation from 1300 to 2025, exploring law, business, and how the human brain processes wayfinding.

This led to:

  • System Mapping and power dynamics

  • Stakeholder Mapping to expose influence gaps

  • 5W1H to sharpen the core problem

followed by Surveys and Interviews

Theoretical Foundation

Mind Way is grounded in:

Universal Design Principles

Affordance Theory

Social Model of Disability

Directs the development of settings and navigation systems that are accessible to the greatest number of individuals, irrespective of cognitive or neurological difference.

 (Ronald L. Mace, James L. Mueller, and Molly Follette Story, 1998)

Affordances are environmental or interface cues that signal possible actions. For neurodivergent users, clear and comprehensible affordances reduce cognitive load and aid navigation, especially under sensory strain.

(James J. Gibson; 1979)

Frames disability as a product of environmental and social barriers rather than individual deficits

(UPIAS, Mike Oliver; 1970s)

Stakeholder Ecosystem

Decision-making power is concentrated upstream, while the people most affected remain furthest from influence.

Discovery

What did the research reveal?

A B-PESTLE Analysis uncovered the forces shaping navigation systemically.

Accelerators

Blockers

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Internet of Things (IoT)

  • Augmented Reality (AR)

  • Autonomous mobility

  • Cloud + edge systems

  • Behavioural Research

  • Digital inclusion

  • Sustainability-driven transport changes

  • The Rising Purple Pound.

  • Policy gaps

  • Inconsistent accessibility standards

  • Limited neurodivergent testing

  • Data and algorithmic bias

  • Affordability barriers

  • Weak compliance

  • Uneven access to technology

The Trend Triangle surfaced two opposing forces:

Technological Advancement vs. Accessibility

What wasn’t working?

Navigation isn’t neutral.

A small circle of powerful stakeholders designs the systems: tech companies, policymakers, urban planners, and mobility providers. Efficiency and market goals win. Inclusivity is treated as an option.

Users are forced to adapt.

User interviews and surveys were used to adapt Nielsen’s 10 heuristics to better reflect neurodivergent navigation needs and reduce neurotypical bias. These were consolidated into four core categories and applied as an evaluation framework for heuristic analysis.

Cognitive Load &
Visual Safety

Predictability & Structure

Emotional Safety & Reassurance

Agency, Control &
Spatial Orientation

  1. Sensory Load & Visual Clarity

  2. Readability & Language Simplicity

  3. Focus & Distraction Management

  1. Information Chunking & Predictability

  2. Time Perception & Planning Support

  1. Pre-Journey Orientation & Reassurance

  2. Emotionally Supportive Microcopy & Tone

  1. Error Tolerance & Recovery Support

  2. Customisation & User Control

  3. Wayfinding Anchors & Spatial Orientation

The Problem

Problem Statement

Wicked Problem

Mainstream navigation systems are designed around neurotypical cognitive patterns such as speed, multitasking, and high sensory tolerance. While effective for many, they often exclude neurodivergent users by default. For people with autism, ADHD/ADD, or dyslexia, everyday navigation becomes cognitively and emotionally demanding.

The critical design gap: the absence of emotionally intelligent and cognitively accessible navigation that supports confidence and independence.

Technology was meant to make the world more inclusive. Instead, it made disconnection impossible. AI guides movement, sensors predict behaviour, and participation now requires constant connection.

Freedom comes with surveillance. Access comes with hidden costs. Environmental and ethical consequences follow. Discarded devices fuel e-waste, data centres strain power grids, and systems “optimise” efficiency at the expense of human needs. In trying to fix access, we created a new exclusion: those who cannot or choose not to stay connected. This is no longer just a design problem.

It is ecological, social and moral.

Design Direction

The most desirable future scenario by 2050

The 2 opposing forces revealed in the trend triangle formed the backbone of a Scenario Matrix

This sits at the intersection of innovation and inclusion.

Cognitive Harmony x Neuro-Rural Renaissance

A technologically and emotionally inclusive navigation ecosystem, in collaboration with nature, by 2050

Technology alone cannot create inclusive navigation. It must be supported by empathy, community and nature.

As digital reliance peaks, the Roger's Curve of Diffusion of Innovation signals a shift from novelty to balance. Aligned with Doughnut Economics, this direction prioritises human wellbeing without crossing ecological limits. Technology becomes a supportive guide, not the driver.

Designing backwards from 2050, the solution translates this future into actions possible by 2027.

Designing backwards from 2050, the solution translates this future into actions possible by 2027.

Designing backwards from 2050, the solution translates this future into actions possible by 2027.

Solution Framework: Mind Way

A modular framework designed to integrate into existing navigation systems(platforms) while centring neurodivergent needs.

What does Mind Way need to achieve?

  • Enable independence without surveillance overload

  • Reduce cognitive load

  • Support emotional regulation

  • Integrate sensory-friendly cues

  • Offer predictable and rehearsable routes

Navigation layer at a glance

Impact & Validation

Why This System Works?

  • modular and opt in

  • integrates with existing platforms

  • reduces cognitive load without slowing journeys

  • scalable across neurodivergent needs

What does this change?

For Users

For Systems

  • Reduced anxiety

  • Increased Autonomy

  • Greater confidence navigating

  • Moves accessibility beyond checklists

  • Creates emotionally intelligent infrastructure

  • Scales to future inclusive cities.

What do the users have to say?

The cues feel intuitive, and the system responds to how I actually move and think. It’s not just a map; it feels like someone understands the way I navigate.

~ UX Designer

It didn’t assume how I travel. It let me choose how much help I wanted.

~ User

The system doesn’t override the user in moments of stress. That restraint is important and often overlooked.

~ Assistive tech reviewer

This moves beyond compliance. It treats cognitive accessibility as something dynamic, not a checklist.

~ Inclusion specialist

Usually I miss turns because there’s too much happening. Here, it only told me what I needed, when I needed it.

~ User(ADHD)

The emotional pacing is clear. You can see where the interface steps back instead of adding more.

~ Designer

What stood out was the emphasis on consent and predictability. It’s rare to see accessibility framed as something the user actively controls.

~ Accessibility officer

The journey accounts for before and after, not just the navigation itself. That’s where a lot of services fall short.

~ Service Designer

It reflects how people actually experience travel. Non-linear, emotional, and often unpredictable

~ Mobility Researcher

Behind the Scenes

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deepikaraju09@gmail.com

©2025 | Designed & Developed by me

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