KIRAN
How might we help individuals with mild autism feel more comfortable in job interviews and prepare potential employers to accommodate mildly autistic interviewees and employees?
THE ISSUE
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are underemployed or unemployed by estimates of 90%, despite evidence demonstrating their ability to be high-performing employees in the right context.
A major factor is the initial interview process and the social skills needed to advance to the next hiring stage.
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Kiran is an application designed to help ASD individuals feel comfortable in job interviews, and for employers to understand how to accommodate ASD employees.
ASD traits which may interfere in a job interview include:
-Little or inconsistent eye contact
-Appearing not to listen
-Having difficulties following conversations (question format)
-Facial expressions not matching words (emotional display)
-Having trouble understanding other’s points of view (context)
These same traits can also read as having a lack of emotions or empathy, which is not the case.
It’s important to note that some individuals with ASD can also have incredible strengths: learning things in great detail, recognizing patters, being keen visual and auditory learners, and excelling in fields such as music, math, science, and art.
Many employers have acknowledge these strengths (Ford, BBC, IBM) and have found ASD individuals to outperform non-ASD individuals on certain tasks. However, many companies are not set up to accommodate ASD employees, either because of the hiring process or office settings not being equipped to meet the needs of ASD employees (too loud, chaotic, or bright as a setting).
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Mem, the app that inspired the brief
The initial project brief was open for interpretation, abstract, and had no specific problem or audience at its outset:
“How might we enable people to create and access their data to promote self-awareness and create more emotionally intelligent (EQ) organizations and societies?”
The five-person team I was on identified ASD employment as a topic in the early stages of our six-week process and worked with Reason Digital (a social enterprise) on its development.
The brief’s original HMW was open-ended without a specific audience or problem because it was inspired by a defunct app called Mem. Mem was a personal content platform, intended to help people privately record and access moments, memories, and observations—the idea was to develop a ritual and instill a form of reflection. The brief built off of this idea and was intended to investigate how people could create their own data and develop more self-awareness in the process, and thus increase their EQ (what some consider the main soft-skill of modern leadership).
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Reason Digital is a social enterprise that works with charities, housing associations, and other pro-social organizations to tackle significant issues with the use of technology. Based in Manchester, England, they have made ambitious products such as an app to help prevent relapse in drug and alcohol recovery, and tackled taboo issues such as making an app for sex workers to protect themselves and work safely.
HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE
6 weeks from brief to pitch
Team Alignment (Discover)
Could Be (Discover)
Should Be (Define)
Will Be (Develop)
Alpha Build (Deliver)
Presentation (Deliver)
MY ROLES
-Product Strategist
-Researcher
-Wireframe Designer
KEY GOAL
Help individuals with ASD feel comfortable in interviews for jobs.
MY ROLE / TEAM
The team was made of five international members (Malaysia, India, Sweden, and two Americans), with backgrounds predominantly in graphic design and marketing.
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On the team, I was a collaborator in all aspects of the project, but my main strengths were in strategy, research, and group facilitation.
My critical/creative thinking skills and strategic-eye were my standout assets on this team, as I posed many of the central questions and perspectives which brought us to approaching the project in new and unexpected ways:
-How do we discuss EQ concerning neurodiversity?
-Is it solely the responsibility for ASD individuals to learn how to interact with the world and conform to neurotypical standards, or should the burden be shared with non-ASD individuals?
-Transitions in life are inherently unpredictable and unavoidable; how can we help ASD individuals in these moments?
-How might we incorporate real interactions and not just rely on a bot?
-How might we plan to grow the application and ensure non-ASD individuals use it as well?
TOOLS & ACTIONS
The project required a variety of tools and skills needed to identify a problem and to produce a minimally viable product (MVP).
INTERVIEWS
-8 Individuals with mild ASD
-3 Educators working with ASD students
-1 Parent with an ASD child
-3 Experts in the field of ASD
-1 Client
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
-Kanban
-Daily Team Diary
-Team Canvas
-Project Calendar
UX
-Personas
-Experience Map
-User Journey Map
-Pain Points
-Wireframe
-Low-fi Prototype
-Hi-fi Prototype
-User Testing
-Figma
DESIGN THINKING
-Cluster Mapping
-Brain Writing
-Downloading
-HMW
-Sacrificial Concepts
STRATEGY
-Theory of Change
-Roadmap
RESEARCH
-Desktop Research
-Analogous Experience
-Interviews
PROCESS OVERVIEW
The project’s process was informed by an IDEO model (referenced above), which gave space to understand what the problem could be, the idea should be, and how to work towards an alpha prototype.
Team Alignment (Discover): Setup process and make a team canvas. Talk about what interested/attracted each of us to the brief. Cluster map post-its from the discussion into themes to begin exploring topics and perform secondary research; share and discuss research findings.
Could Be (Discover): Narrow down topic and perform more secondary research as needed, develop a first HMW, begin to identify an audience, set up interviews, develop and test initial sacrificial concepts, synthesize interviews and identify insights.
Should Be (Define): Define audience, cluster map interview insights, perform more interviews and secondary research, continue to brain write ideas and cluster map findings to define a problem.
Will Be (Develop): Make an experience map to refine area of focus, develop a final HMW, begin to develop personas, user journey maps, wireframes, product roadmap, and analogous research for lo-fi prototype/mockup.
Alpha Build (Deliver): Test lo-fi prototype/mockup for feedback and initial flow insights, modify Kiran flow and services based on user feedback, begin developing a hi-fi prototype/mockup; perform usability testing on hi-fi prototype/mockup to assess flow and user issues; begin to write and produce the pitch.
Presentation (Deliver continued): Finish hi-fi prototype/mockups and deliver the final pitch to the client (Reason Digital).
PROCESS TO DEVELOPMENT / INSIGHTS
WEEK 1
TEAM ALIGNMENT (DISCOVER)
Design thinking exercises led to a conversation about EQ and its aspect as a social skill. This spurred a discussion about what EQ looks like amongst those who struggle with social interactions due to the brain chemistry. Interactions between ASD and non-ASD individuals came up, and an area of focus began to emerge.
(Initial themes identified from design thinking exercise)
After setting up a team canvas and aligning on our team's mission—‘to empower users with their data'—we did a five-minute design thinking exercise of quickly writing topics based on the brief. The topics were cluster mapped into five themes and each theme was researched by two team members. The research was then presented back to spur conversations and ideas. The most impactful research was regarding EQ.
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The topic of EQ eventually led to a conversation about pathological deficits regarding empathy (neurodiverse individuals who struggle with reading, controlling or having emotions because of brain chemistry). The discussion prompted teammates to share stories of loved ones who have autism and appear to lack emotions and empathy at times, but in actuality, have a hard time expressing and reading emotions.
The conversation led to the idea of ASD and non-ASD individuals communicating emotions in different ways and having different needs, and thus potentially needing a bridge in communication.
WEEK 2
COULD BE (DISCOVER)
(Example of quotes pulled for download)
Interviews with three ASD individuals, and one parent of a child with ASD, were scheduled to investigate difficulties ASD individuals face with social interactions.
The interviews taught us ASD individuals:
-Want to connect & be social, but don't always know how to
-Struggle with social nuances/interpret in a literal manner
-Role-play is a powerful tool for learning how to act socially
-Symptoms become manageable through age (exposure)
-A lack of predictability can ruin a day
An initial HMW was created to help guide our research: How might we bridge communication between neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals?
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Interviews were set up through a combination of personal networks and PingPong—a user research platform—and done in twos (a questionnaire and a note-taker). Questions were primarily designed to understand how ASD individuals perceive ASD, relationship dynamics, problems they experience because of ASD, and the tools they use to deal with ASD symptoms. Example questions include:
-What is Aspergers/autism to you; how would you define it? What would you want people to know about Aspergers/autism?
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-When do you feel the most comfortable communicating with other people? When do you feel least comfortable communicating with other people?
-Do you use any support tools or methods to help you manage autism/Aspergers on a day-to-day basis? Could you give us an example of a person or a tool who has helped to support you in communication and daily activities?
Via downloading after the interviews, we identified observations, findings, quotes, and opportunities. After performing all four interviews from the week, we began to map similarities from the insights section to identify themes: role-play, desire to connect, literal interpretations, and a need for predictability.
WEEK 3
SHOULD BE
(DEFINE)
(Example of interview insight towards product development)
Our second-week Interviews led us to focus on mild autism, as the majority of people interviewed identified as having mild autism/Aspergers (an antiquated term for mild autism).
Predictability was a major trait of ASD individuals we noticed both in interviews and secondary research, which drew our focus to transition periods in life—such as starting a new job or moving into a new apartment.
Our research found the issue of ASD individuals being underemployed by estimates of 90%, which prompted our research and interviews to begin focusing on this aspect of life.
Through desktop research and our interviews, we identified predictability as a significant trait of ASD individuals. A lack of predictability made me think about pain points relating to transition periods (inherently unpredictable) in life most people go through, such as living somewhere new, leaving home for college, or starting a new job. Based on transition periods as potential pain points, we focused our desktop research to see if there were any transition periods in life for ASD individuals that was acknowledged as an issue and found the dilemma of ASD employment.
WEEK 4
WILL BE
(DEVELOP)
(Example of initial mockup of interview screen)
After identifying employment as an issue, we mapped components of getting a job and realized the challenges job interviews present for those with ASD symptoms (and found a video by The National Autistic Society which reinforced our findings).
The area of focus brought us to our final HMW: How might we help individuals with autism feel more comfortable in job interviews and prepare potential employers to accommodate ASD interviewees and employees?
To begin designing the service/app, we ideated features based on information from our interviews and then created a user journey map to understand the flow, pain points, happy moments, and opportunities.
After ideating on categories and functions of the app, a user journey map was developed to design the basic user flow and touch points, and to identify any categories/steps overlooked. Working off of the user journey map, wireframes were designed to begin constructing the different screens, buttons and connected paths.
To move the process along faster, another team member and I began to map screen flow and primary wireframes and features, while three other team members began to develop the graphics and digital toolbox for building the wireframes on Figma--a prototyping software. Together, we digitized the wireframe drawings on Figma to develop a lo-fi prototype in time for two user testings/feedback.
In addition, I developed a strategic vision (roadmap) for how the product/service would develop, build a network, and then generate revenue, in anticipation of needing to communicate our vision.
WEEK 5
ALPHA
(DELIVER)
(Example of hi-fi mockup of interview for employers)
A lo-fi prototype was built which consisted of black and white wireframes. The lo-fi prototype allowed us to understand the overall user journey and interactions, and functioned enough for general testing and user feedback.
Interviews with ASD individuals and experts continued during this phase, and functioned more to understand services and features which would improve the experience.
Our final prototype was a hi-fi visual mockup of the lo-fi prototype, and served as a MVP for the presentation (resources restricted us from further development).
(Example of hi-fi wireframes for person to person post-interview review; ASD individual giving feedback to an employer learning how to accommodate in an ASD interview)
KIRAN - FINAL PRODUCT
INTERVIEW SIMULATOR
The main feature of the app is an interview simulations bot. Individuals can prepare for interviews by having a mock call with Kiran.
Our research showed role-playing (social stories) and recording and reviewing one’s self is an often utilized method by ASD individuals to practice for social situations and to prepare for job interviews.
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Through face and voice analysis (for which there is existing technology), Kiran provides feedback on performance to help improve ASD individuals communication skills and improve confidence.
CREATING A SUCCESS PLAN
A calendar tool allows users to create a game plan for the interview (how will I get to the interview) or set new goals for the skills they want to improve.
​In our research, we learned time management and predictability is a big issue for many ASD individuals. Having a plan to follow is essential for a successful day, as small things like a bus being late can be a big challenge for some. Even little day to day chores needs to be planned and reminded for some ASD individuals.
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Regarding interviews, this means having a predictable path, or a game plan, and breaking down the preparation process into smaller parts: How will I get there? Have I washed and ironed my clothes? Are resumes printed and placed in a folder? What questions might I be asked?
MEASURING PROGRESS
A log of past recordings with detailed information on performance is accessible to help users with their progress and to review sessions where they improved.
Measuring progress is essential to assess performance over time. All the past interviews can be reviewed to track areas of strengths and what needs improvement.
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This feature also builds off of the insight we gathered in interviews from individuals citing their frequency of recording themselves and then rewatching to learn how to match their emotional expressions to words.
RESOURCES AND GAMES
Users can build on areas they want to improve by playing games or by accessing a resource section which includes tips for development.
Examples include facial expression gaming, where the user aligns their facial reactions to words on the screen or mimics the expressions of Kiran.
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The resource section acts as a friendly tip reminder/cheat sheet for how to plan your day with an interview, or analyze facial expressions linked to words.
LEVEL PROGRESSION
A level system is in place to ease the user into the experience and build confidence interviewing. As the user progresses, interviews with the bot get harder and more real, and eventually offer the opportunity to practice with an actual person.
Initially, the user starts with only one version of Kiran (the bot). As the user progresses, Kiran begins to take on different personas and change. Kiran can then be configured into different personas (friendly vs. cold), and role-play different conditions and situations. Eventually, the user can talk to a real-life person, and move away from predictable situations and into uncertain ones and develop confidence.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Since everyone with ASD has unique needs, Kiran is designed to allow for customization and configuration in a way that matches the user's needs so they can focus on improving areas of weakness.
Individuals with ASD may find specific colors and font types distracting, to help overcome this, the app is designed for the user to select font sizes, font type, and color schemes. Users can also specify and focus on their specific needs and deficits.
KIRAN FOR EMPLOYERS
Kiran for employers functions similarly to the ASD version of Kiran, but differs regarding onboarding, resources, and the bot--which emulates characteristics of someone with ASD.
It's designed to help employers build empathy and understand what communication is like for a person with ASD.
Mock interviews with the bot helps employers learn and practice how to ask questions in ways that relate to how ASD individuals interpret information or to become familiar with behaviors such as indirect eye-contact.
The onboarding process begins with collecting information about the employer’a company, and a questionnaire to understand how much the employer knows about ASD to assess the level of learning needed on the app.
Resource tools are offered to help assess how ready a workplace is for ASD individuals. The resources are meant to help employers determine if they are equipped or need further investigate on the app's resource page how to prepare for and create a neurodiverse workplace.
ONBOARDING
INTERVIEWS
RESOURCES
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
FEEDBACK
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
LESSONS LEARNED / REFLECTION
Design thinking is ultimately a thought process and a set of tools to generate the discussions and move the design process along. It is not a formula.
Don’t ask users what they want or what they need, identify problem areas, and develop sacrificial concepts to engage their imaginations and generate more profound insights.
EQ is a reoccurring theme in my work I plan to pursue further and incorporate into projects when applicable.
For this project, using design thinking in a formulaic fashion worked because we needed a waterfall project management method—we needed to set up gates if we wanted to build something in time for our pitch. But, the truth is that the design process is seldom linear (there were many dead ends I omitted above for the sake of narrative). With that said, I believe design thinking is excellent at illustrating the creative process, but it is not a formula, it's an art of application. Using design thinking is about knowing when to apply tools and which ones to inspire creative thinking or to help move the process along--nothing may come about from the use of a tool, and that's part of the process; you have to get comfortable with things not always working and trying another tool.
Setting up the context to engage people's imaginations and to test your assumptions is essential. In interviews, we would hear people with ASD complaining about spouses not putting things back in their proper place (going back to the insight of a need for predictability). This observation generated the sacrificial concept for a tool that would help non-ASD individuals place things in ways ASD individuals need or prefer. By creating this sacrificial concept, we learned ASD individuals thought the tool would not work because they don't expect people to necessarily follow their preferred order and know there are things they can't control. The sacrificial concept thus revealed that ASD individuals need predictability, but also understand a need to learn how to adjust to an unpredictable world.
Emotional intelligence became a reoccurring theme in my work at Hyper Island due to its empathetic nature and, thus, relation to human-centered design. Understanding how to bring EQ into organizations, operational procedures, and people's lives is something I plan to explore further, as I believe EQ's premise centers on developing reflection, which inherently produces continuous learning and deeper states of empathy and connection.