ClearMind
A guided task prioritization app designed to reduce cognitive overload for ADHD users
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year
2025
timeline
3 months
project
end-to-end app
role
client
Problem
Solution
Brain Dump helps users quickly unload tasks without overthinking, then uses lightweight inputs (urgency, importance, time, energy) to intelligently prioritize their day, while keeping users in control.
Focus Mode removes distractions by surfacing only the current microtask, using a calmer visual palette, positive time framing, and subtle progress feedback to support sustained focus and momentum.
“I wish I could just prioritize the most important thing and get it done.”
Rian
“I love checking off my to-do list. It’s such a good dopamine hit.”
Angel
“I wish I didn't always feel overwhelmed when I start tasks.”
Mara
“I end up feeling like I didn’t do enough, even if I was busy all day.”
anonymous
I began by sitting with the competitive landscape and asking one question of each app: what does this ask of the user the moment they open it? Most productivity tools front-load complexity with things like due dates, tags, and priority levels before the user has even offloaded what's in their head. For ADHD users, that friction is enough to close the app entirely.
The direction became clear: dump first, details later.
Users begin by unloading everything that’s been floating around in their head, adding light details to each task (urgency, importance, energy, and time) only if it feels helpful. They also have the option to break tasks into microtasks or skip ahead to Focus Mode entirely.
**only key screens shown here
From there, users check in on their available time and energy for the day. The system uses this context to generate a realistic plan and surface the single most relevant task to start, leading naturally into Focus Mode.
**only key screens shown here
The one-question-per-screen model was a deliberate iteration from an earlier version that asked for all details at once. Removing visual clutter from each input screen wasn't an aesthetic choice, it was a direct response to how ADHD users process information.
My first version asked users to fill in all task details on one screen: urgency, importance, energy, estimated time. Early feedback made clear this replicated the exact overwhelm I was trying to eliminate. I moved to a one-question-per-screen model, keeping each input fully focused and distraction-free.
The number of options per question went through its own iteration - five felt like too many, three not nuanced enough. Four became the middle ground. AI helped articulate each level in language that felt calm rather than clinical.
Once users enter Focus Mode, a subtle progress visualization sits at the top of the screen - bold in shape, slow-moving by design - giving users a peripheral sense of momentum without pulling focus. The current microtask occupies the visual center, set in light color against a dark background to draw the eye naturally. Gentle motivation messages shift as progress continues (no rush / just start / still on track...), present enough to encourage, subtle enough not to distract.
**only key screens shown here
If overwhelm arises, the pause button surfaces three options ordered from least to most disruptive: take a break, finish later, or wrap up for today. The third option uses a secondary button style (visually quieter) to gently discourage closing the app without removing the choice.
**only key screens shown here
The 'Feeling stuck?' link sits subtly in the corner, opening a drawer that leads with 'You're not failing. You're taking care of yourself before offering any action. 'Options follow the same intentional order: support first, then take a break, then switch tasks. Both interactions (pause/stuck) share one goal: preserve momentum without pressure.
**only key screens shown here
Focus Mode needed to keep users anchored to the task at hand while gently reinforcing that they were making progress, all without overstimulating them in the process.
I explored several progress indicator approaches, balancing screen real estate against distraction risk. The visual direction came from data visualization inspirations - specifically minimal color palettes, bold graphic shapes, contrast doing the work instead of color variety. Interesting but not stimulating.
The indicator I landed on was bold in shape but slow-moving - something to glance at, not watch. The current microtask sat just below, set in a light color against a dark background to draw the eye naturally. Short motivational messages shift as progress continues - no rush, just start / momentum unlocked / still on track - refined with AI assistance to feel encouraging rather than performative.
The component system prioritizes clarity and reduced cognitive load throughout by using minimal color, bold shapes, and subtle feedback that rewards without overstimulating.
The name ClearMind reflects the app's core goal: moving from mental clutter to clarity. The logo suggests a head with a lighter thought rising outward - a visual metaphor for mental release. The color palette supports focus and emotional regulation, and typography was chosen for warmth and readability above all else.
problem
solution
problem: - add button felt visually dominant and uninviting, creating subtle pressure while dumping tasks solution: - softened the visual weight of the button to better support a low-pressure, open brain dump experience
problem
solution
solution
problems: - users were unclear how tasks were being organized - users weren’t sure which task to start with due to limited visual hierarchy solutions: - added an explanatory modal to clarify the system - visually emphasized the top priority task for the day
problem
solution
problems: - viewing only the remaining time increased pressure - the pause button felt visually disconnected from the timer solutions: - reframed time as elapsed to promote encouragement - moved the pause control closer to the timer for easier, calmer access
users valued the system’s ability to remove the cognitive burden of prioritization and task breakdown
the Brain Dump flow 4.5/5 for lowering overwhelm compared to traditional to-do lists
users reported feeling guided, calm, and in control once in Focus Mode
the combination of a single task, one microtask, and a subtle progress visualization supported sustain attention without distraction
users consistently described the experience as calming, supportive, and confidence-building
“Feeling stuck?” was repeatedly cited as successful in helping users avoid shame spirals and safely re-engage
Task switching felt non-punitive and hopeful, reducing tool abandonment risk
Overall, testing confirmed that ClearMind’s design approach aligns strongly with ADHD-friendly usability principles by prioritizing clarity, control, and psychological safety over productivity pressure.
view prototype
The central design challenge was holding four competing requirements in balance: emotionally sensitive, hyper-focused, subtly interesting, and visually calm. Too much warmth and the app feels precious. Too much restraint and it feels cold. Too much visual interest and it overstimulates the very users it's trying to help. This was a Goldilocks project: everything had to be just right. The biggest expression of that tension was the Brain Dump detail flow. Moving from all task details on one screen to one detail per screen was a risky call - each screen had to be fast, frictionless, and clear. The language had to guide without over-explaining, and the visual design had to feel worth the journey. Focus Mode presented a similar challenge: determining what deserved the user's primary attention at every moment, and making that hierarchy feel intuitive rather than imposed.
Effective ADHD design relies on reducing cognitive load, not adding features. By replacing assumptions with continuous user feedback, prioritizing restraint and clarity in a focused MVP proved to create a more resonant experience than a feature-rich one ever could have.
Next time, I would validate low-fidelity concepts earlier to catch visual hierarchy issues sooner. This project reinforced that hierarchy and tone are critical foundational decisions that require rapid early iteration, not high-fidelity polish.
