Background

This project builds on speculative design and design fiction methods explored in an earlier project in this course, where we created the fictional news platform AIbladet, based on the popular Swedish newspaper and site Aftonbladet, to illustrate the societal challenges of increasing trust in AI within education. The design fiction highlighted how AI could:
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- Replace human judgment
- Reduce critical thinking
- Create ethical dilemmas around responsibility, equality, and inclusion.

The project addresses the broader societal problem of over-reliance on AI with risks such as:
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- Amplifying biases
- Reducing human agency
- Affecting vulnerable students

Desktop research

Contextual Understanding

For this project, I focused on a particularly vulnerable target group - students with autism or similar learning challenges. University students with autism face unique challenges that affect learning, social interaction, and well-being. They often struggle with social rules, flexibility, planning, and information processing, while sensory overload and unclear instructions increase stress and anxiety (Van Hees et al., 2015; Davis et al., 2021). Academic outcomes can be negatively affected, and support services are often insufficient or poorly matched to individual needs (Cox et al., 2023; Syriopoulou-Delli et al., 2024).

Contextual Impact on Design

The needs of students with autism shaped every design decision. To reduce stress and cognitive load, we focused on clear language, consistent icons with text, and simple, structured layouts (Rehan, 2025; Autism Sverige, n.d.). Tasks are broken into manageable steps with visual progress indicators, while minimal animations, soft colors, and plenty of whitespace prevent sensory overload (Le Cunff, Giampietro, & Dommett, 2024; Pavlov, 2014). Users can customize fonts, colors, and sound, and interact with multiple media types to suit their preferences (Ciurana et al., 2024; Fabri & Andrews, 2016). Overall, the platform is predictable, guiding, and adaptable, supporting autonomy and confidence for neurodiverse students.

Relevant Design Knowledge for Planning Tools

Designing planning systems requires addressing cognitive load by presenting information in a clear, cohesive way. Information is often fragmented, so tools must consolidate resources, notes, tasks, and documents in a single view to avoid confusion (Jones et al., 2007). Planning tools should also automatically generate structure as users organize their tasks, turning planning actions into clear organization (Jones et al., 2007). Features like “recent changes” or summary entry points allow users to reorient themselves after breaks, maintaining continuity and reducing stress (Copic Pucihar et al., 2016). Clear temporal representations, such as color-coded time blocks and simple navigation, support task overview and time management, making planning more manageable and less cognitively taxing (Shin & Yoon, 2021).

These principles directly informed Planner Pal’s design, ensuring tasks and schedules are visually structured, easy to follow, and adaptable to neurodiverse students’ needs, ultimately reducing cognitive overload and stress.

Developed guidelines

Based on this contextual understanding, five guidelines were developed to shap Planner Pal. They ensure simple language and icons, clear structure, minimal visual complexity, stress-reducing time visualization, and integration of all resources in one view.

Design-for-all principles

Based on this contextual understanding, five guidelines were developed to shap Planner Pal. They ensure simple language and icons, clear structure, minimal visual complexity, stress-reducing time visualization, and integration of all resources in one view. Following these principles aligns with Universal Design and Design-for-All, making the interface predictable, accessible and confidence-boosting.

Principle n. 1

I understood the intent of this principle is to make interface understandable and usable immediately by as many users as possible, without the need for individual adaptations or explanations. In the final design,

- All actions and buttons use simple, direct wording and avoid metaphors and implicit instructions.
- Icons are always paired with text labels to support recognition and reduce ambiguity, ensuring immediate understanding without prior learning.

This can be directly related to the first guideline (1) Clear and Consistent Language and Iconography as well as the principles for universal design. To ensure a broad use and personalized design, Universal Design complemented the Design-for-all principles by providing concrete, practical strategies to implement accessibility, usability and inclusivity in the interface.

- Simple and intuitive Use: The system is easy to understand regardless of prior experience.
- Perceptible information: Important information is clearly communicated using text, icons, and visual hierarchy.
- Low physical effort: Minimal steps and reduced interaction complexity lower the effort required to use the tool.

Principle n. 2

I used the second principle to ensure that the with the the system support different preferences, abilities and ways of working, without excluding any users. In the final design,

- Text, voice, images and video was available as input.
- The chatbot is accessible via both typing and speech.
- Text has adjustable size, contrast and color themes.

This can be directly related to the fourth guideline (4) Design to reduce stress through time representation and indirect to the third guideline (3) Minimal Visual Complexity, as well as the universal principles,

- Flexibility in use: The design accommodates a wide range of preferences and abilities.
- Tolerance for error: Confirmations and feedback prevent unintended actions.
- Equitable use: Customisation options are available to all users, not only a specific group.

Principle n. 3

The third principle was used to ensure that the with the the system is compatible with assistive technologies and alternative interaction methods. The final design,

- Has full support for keyboard navigation by ensuring clear hierarchy.
- Has sufficient spacing between clickable areas for alternative input methods.

This can be directly related to the fourth guideline (4) Design to reduce stress through time representation and indirect to the third guideline (3) Minimal Visual Complexity, as well as the universal principles,

- Size and Space for Approach and Use: Adequate spacing and layout support diverse interaction methods.
- Perceptible Information: Information is accessible across different sensory modalities.
- Low Physical Effort: Reduced scrolling and simplified navigation support alternative input devices.