gaps and opportunities
in ADHD therapy processes

brand

Cog ADHD
Cog ADHD
Cog ADHD

summary

As the founding designer at a pre-seed mental healthcare startup, I led product discovery through user research, identified needs, designed and tested solutions, and collaborated with engineers to deploy them.

role

Research

Strategy

UX/UI

time

2 months

tools

Figma

Miro

Notion

Asana

setting the stage

Cog is a mobile app designed to support people with ADHD in living their best lives. A significant part of its offering is online therapy delivered through Cog Clinic. My goal was to understand ADHD therapy from multiple perspectives to identify problems and uncover focused design opportunities.

MY ROLE

research >

research >

research >

I interviewed customers, therapists, and clinic staff, carried out a competitive analysis, and analysed findings with the team.

I interviewed customers, therapists, and clinic staff, carried out a competitive analysis, and analysed findings with the team.

synthesis >

synthesis >

synthesis >

I identified friction points and improvement opportunities through affinity mapping, personas, and user journey analysis.

I identified friction points and improvement opportunities through affinity mapping, personas, and user journey analysis.

strategy >

strategy >

strategy >

The number of opportunities identified was striking and helped me shape the long-term vision for Cog Clinic.

The number of opportunities identified was striking and helped me shape the long-term vision for Cog Clinic.

design >

design >

design >

I was responsible for designing a feasible solution to address the most urgent issue within the existing resource constraints.

I was responsible for designing a feasible solution to address the most urgent issue within the existing resource constraints.

interviews

Holistic Insights
Through 360° Interviews with ...

Therapy clients

Therapy clients

Cog Clinic customers who had prior experience with therapy

Cog Clinic customers who had prior experience with therapy

Therapists

Therapists

Specialists experienced in providing therapy for individuals with ADHD

Specialists experienced in providing therapy for individuals with ADHD

Clinic staff

Clinic staff

Clinic staff

Professionals at mental health clinics familiar with operational systems

Professionals at mental health clinics familiar with operational systems

My goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the ADHD therapy landscape so we could address our users' needs better.

What processes in mental healthcare clinics influence the therapy experience?

What processes in mental healthcare clinics influence the therapy experience?

What factors contribute
to a successful therapy?

What factors contribute
to a successful therapy?

What factors contribute
to a successful therapy?

What challenges do
therapists face?

What challenges

do therapists face?

What are our customers'
needs when starting
ADHD therapy?

What are our customers'
needs when starting
ADHD therapy?

Which parts of the current process are challenging, and what aspects work well?

Which parts of the current process are challenging, and what aspects work well?

What challenges do
therapists face?

What challenges do
therapists face?

What are our customers'
needs when starting
ADHD therapy?

What are our customers'
needs when starting
ADHD therapy?

Which parts of the current process are challenging, and what aspects work well?

Which parts of the current process are challenging, and what aspects work well?

Competitive analysis

Space for opportunity
in the therapy aiding tools

I identified a variety of solutions for ADHD support, generally divided into two categories: self-help apps and therapy platforms.

Self-help apps are typically designed to be engaging and fun, offering tools like mood check-ins, educational videos, and AI chatbots.

Therapy platforms generally offer access to coaches through monthly subscriptions but lack tools that directly support the therapy process. Only a few, including our key competitors Inflow and Agave Health, included features like emotion or symptom check-ins.

This gap in therapy-support tools indicated a unique opportunity for Cog to develop features that actively support the therapeutic journey, positioning the app as a comprehensive solution for users.

Key research findings

Gaps in connection,
LACK OF structure and resources

It was such a rewarding experience getting closer to our customers' and therapists' pains and needs. Together with the team we’ve synthesised and re-synthesised to uncover the core problems.

"Each week, I'm asked how my week's been, but I all I remember is the last meeting I've had that day so we end up chatting about the first thing that comes to my mind"

"Each week, I'm asked how my week's been, but I all I remember is the last meeting I've had that day so we end up chatting about the first thing that comes to my mind"

"Each week, I'm asked how my week's been, but I all I remember is the last meeting I've had that day so we end up chatting about the first thing that comes to my mind"

@Cog clinic customer

@Cog clinic customer

@Cog clinic customer

“Biggest challenge I face is a lack of engagement from my clients.”

“Biggest challenge I face is a lack of engagement from my clients.”

“Biggest challenge I face is a lack of engagement from my clients.”

@Cog clinic therapist

@Cog clinic therapist

@Cog clinic therapist

"I wish that I had a good sense of what day of the week I struggled with. I tried tracking it, especially when on medication, so then I know how things are going for me"

"I wish that I had a good sense of what day of the week I struggled with. I tried tracking it, especially when on medication, so then I know how things are going for me"

"I wish that I had a good sense of what day of the week I struggled with. I tried tracking it, especially when on medication, so then I know how things are going for me"

@Cog clinic customer

@Cog clinic customer

@Cog clinic customer

INSIGHT #01

Defining needs and goals is crucial yet challenging

Effective therapy relies on clients understanding their emotions and goals, but many struggle to express them, often giving vague responses like 'I want to complete tasks more easily' because their needs aren’t fully clear.

INSIGHT #02

session structure leads to unfocused therapy

Sessions often start with ‘How’s your week been?’, often leading clients to recall recent events instead of key issues. This impacts the focus and outcomes of therapy.

INSIGHT #03

clients' motivation dips Without Visible Progress

Clients are driven by visible progress, but therapists lack structured tools to track it. Without consistent tracking, clients struggle to see improvements, leading to a lack of motivation.

INSIGHT #04

therapists are drowning in administrative work

Therapists handle extensive admin tasks including session summaries and risk assessments that can take 15–40 minutes per session, often unpaid. This extra workload contributes to burnout.

CURRENT THERAPY PROCESS - CLIENT JOURNEY MAP

CURRENT THERAPY PROCESS - CLIENT JOURNEY MAP

CURRENT THERAPY PROCESS - CLIENT JOURNEY MAP

Katherine Bell
“I need therapy with continuity, clear progress, and actionable insights readily available.”
SCENARIO

Katherine is successful at work but struggles to balance it with her personal life and mental health, often leading to burnout. She wants to understand and manage her ADHD to feel less exhausted and anxious. Previous therapy felt chaotic and unimpactful, leaving her unmotivated and uncertain about any progress.

EXPECTATIONS

  • She wants to manage her ADHD effectively and work with a therapist she can build rapport with.

  • She seeks structured therapy with clear progress tracking to stay motivated.

  • She hopes her therapist will help identify key focus areas, reducing the burden of recall.

STRATEGY

TRANSFORMING Therapy
with AI and Data-Driven Solutions

The issues I uncovered revealed many opportunities for improvement. I began to imagine, what could a big picture product vision for Cog clinic look like?

Cog allows users to track symptoms, emotions, wins and add daily journal entries for context.

Why not use these tools to give users a clear, insightful view of their progress and overall well-being?

This would also give therapists a better understanding of their patient’s health and areas to focus on.

With structured data available before sessions, patients wouldn’t have to rely on memory, and seeing their progress could be a huge motivation boost.

Additionally, a centralised hub would keep therapy organised; session summaries, homework, communication, reminders, and an archive all in one place, so nothing ever gets lost.

Design idea

Automating some of the admin work could further reduce clinician burnout. For example, after each session, AI could draft a session summary and risk assessment based on the user’s data, allowing therapists to simply review it.

Design idea

methodology

Inviting Engineers
to Discussions Early On

With this big vision in place, I focused on prioritising ideas. Transforming check in entries (symptoms, emotions, wins, and daily journals) into actionable insights would address key issues identified in the research.

problem #01

Defining needs and goals is crucial yet challenging

Access to symptoms history would allow users to identify patterns enabling more targeted goals.

problem #02

session structure leads to unfocused therapy

Users could use their check in data to share relevant information each week, streamlining session focus.

problem #03

clients' motivation dips Without Visible Progress

Check in analytics could help users monitor symptoms and see their progress more clearly.

Early on, I collaborated with engineers to explore ideas and roadmaps. Together, we decided it would be best to start with a simpler solution to provide immediate value and iteratively evolve. We agreed to ship a weekly check in history.

exploratory sketches

chalenges

TESTING SHOWS
INFORMATION OVERLOAD

I started with a day-by-day layout and colour-coded progress bars to help users review their week and spot patterns. But, user testing showed that this layout was overwhelming.

"I'm finding it hard to make sense of all the symptoms and analyse them day by day to see where my low points are."

"I'm finding it hard to make sense of all the symptoms and analyse them day by day to see where my low points are."

"I'm finding it hard to make sense of all the symptoms and analyse them day by day to see where my low points are."

Solution

User Journey Shaping Clarity

I focused my redesign on improving the user’s journey when reviewing their check in data. The goal was to help users move seamlessly from identifying key pain points to diving deeper into specific insights.

Katherine Bell

Therapy Client

Therapy Client

"How has this week
been overall?"

"How has this week
been overall?"

"Which days were
the hardest for me?"

"Which days were
the hardest for me?"

"What made those
days so challenging?"

"What made those
days so challenging?"

"What should I talk
to my therapist about?"

"What should I talk
to my therapist about?"

Weekly overview graph >

I designed a visual representation of the week to help users quickly understand key patterns. At a glance, users can spot the worst days and identify areas to explore further.

Two-Tab view >

To make navigation easier, I introduced a two-tab system that enables users to switch between a high-level weekly summary and detailed check-in data.

Symptom ranking >

To make the data more digestible, I grouped symptoms into categories: highs, lows, and neutrals. This provided clarity and allowed users to focus on what mattered most.

Journal and wins entries >

Journals add valuable context by capturing what was happening on specific days, while "wins" serve as positive reinforcement, helping users stay motivated.

Results

Small Changes,
Meaningful Improvements

"It's a great starting point, and I’m excited to use the it with my clients."

@Cog clinic therapist

"It's a great starting point, and I’m excited to use the it with my clients."

@Cog clinic therapist

"It's a great starting point, and I’m excited to use the it with my clients."

@Cog clinic therapist

"Being able to spot key highs and lows of the week will help focus therapy sessions on the most relevant issues."

@Cog clinic therapist

"Being able to spot key highs and lows of the week will help focus therapy sessions on the most relevant issues."

@Cog clinic therapist

"Being able to spot key highs and lows of the week will help focus therapy sessions on the most relevant issues."

@Cog clinic therapist

"Being able to spot key highs and lows of the week will help focus therapy sessions on the most relevant issues."

@Cog clinic therapist

"In the past, I struggled to see the point of checking in, but using it to look back at my week will be great."

@Cog clinic customer

"In the past, I struggled to see the point of checking in, but using it to look back at my week will be great."

@Cog clinic customer

"In the past, I struggled to see the point of checking in, but using it to look back at my week will be great."

@Cog clinic customer

"In the past, I struggled to see the point of checking in, but using it to look back at my week will be great."

@Cog clinic customer

"This will motivate me to check in more often, as I can use the entries as a conversation starter in therapy."

@Cog clinic customer

"This will motivate me to check in more often, as I can use the entries as a conversation starter in therapy."

@Cog clinic customer

"This will motivate me to check in more often, as I can use the entries as a conversation starter in therapy."

@Cog clinic customer

"This will motivate me to check in more often, as I can use the entries as a conversation starter in therapy."

@Cog clinic customer

key takeaways

Design is Complex
and Context-Driven

prioritisation

prioritisation

Business goals, budgets, and timelines prioritise solutions addressing the most critical issues.

Business goals, budgets, and timelines prioritise solutions addressing the most critical issues.

communication

communication

Clear communication and early engineer involvement ensure smooth implementation and prevent wasted effort.


Clear communication and early engineer involvement ensure smooth implementation and prevent wasted effort.


iteration

iteration

A big vision serves as a north star, but progress comes from iterating in small steps and tracking feedback.

A big vision serves as a north star, but progress comes from iterating in small steps and tracking feedback.

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Caroline Jaworsky

LET's connect

I find great joy in working with others and testing my skills in new environments. Whether you would like to collaborate on a project or simply want to chat, feel free to reach out to me.

Reach me here