Junto / Passion Project


Can’t get sh*t done? Enabling productivity for neurodivergent young adults through body doubling





TEAM
2 Product Designer
1 Industrial Designer
1 Product Manager
TIMELINE
09/2024 – 05/2025
SKILLS
01 Product Design
Interaction Design
Software & Hardware AI
Visual Design
Business Strategy
OVERVIEW

Smart technology that simplies goal management for young adults with ADHD through social accountability with trusted ones, AI-assisted task management, and minimized distraction – a system that keeps user motivated in a long term.

IMPACT

Innovation Fund Validation Award Recipient
Wharton’s Startup Challenge as semifinalists
1.1% CTR on Instagram Ads

THE PROBLEM





Life is like a Pac-man maze.

Experiences and goals with some obstacles.













With ADHD, hard mode become the default.

Starting and achiving long term goal is extremely difficult for young adults with ADHD













5.29% of the world has ADHD = 1 in 20 people. That’s means 28.8 billion productivity loss in the US alone




THE SOLUTION



A three parts ecosystem that enables productivity through social accountability, AI task breakdown, and minimized distraction



Turn big goals to bite-sized, measuarable tasks

Type or rant to add your goal. Then, Junto will use AI to extra your goals and turn them into small tasks. You can remove or edit tasks as you see fit, and also let Junto you know you feel about the goal.






Get some boosts from trusted friends and family

Buddy mode is a easy way for friends or family to support your as your achieve your goals. Buddy can see your progress, how you feel about you goal, and send you some boosts of genergy to keep you going.






Enter focus mode with either Junto app or device

To begin working,  set a timer and center yourself before a working session. You can do this with an app, or with the add on Junto device that takes your focus to the next level.  







Let’s dive deeper into my design process!


RESEARCH



Conducted discovery research (interview, focus groups, etc.) with target user: 18 - 29 year old students or early to mid-career professionals, either diagnosed or self-suspect ADHD during adulthood


Recently diagnosed ADHD in adulthood
  • Open to different methods
  • Curious to understand diagnosis
  • Working with therapists
Self-diagnosed/suspect ADHD
  • Face barriers to diagnosis (cost, access)
  • Seek productivity tools
  • Support from online ADHD groups






Everyone we interviewed said they’ve used some tools to manage ADHD. However, 70% of them said they drop-off the existing solutions after 1-2 weeks of trial period


Examples of some popular tools for ADHD management people mentioned





Consulted experts in behaviroal science


We also received mentorship from 10+ healthcare experts (ADHD professional, therapist, etc.). They provided insights on executive dysfunction, behavioral motivation, and in-depth knowledge about productivity for ADHD individuals.  



INSIGHTS



The first step is hard, but staying motivated is even harderHaving someone present helps, but only when it feels personalThe brain wants to focus, but the phone has other plans.






IDEATION & PROTOTYPING



We went with ideas around body doubling and designed with a key hypothesis: People have a strong enough support system (family, friends, etc.) to help them along the way




Some screenshots of our ideation and brainstorming process




IDEATION & PROTOTYPING



Junto V1 app: Helping people with ADHD achieve their goals and be each other's accountability partners







USER TESTING & FEEDBACK



Tested with 16+ user and their accountability partners



Testing the social interaction
We designed and ran a moderated 7-days user testing with users and their accountability partners via WhatsApp, simulating the body doubling experience.

Getting product feedback

I designed and ran product testing with the users and asked their thoughs about the feature, as well as what they believe is a “must have, “should have” and “could have”.






Feedback on the features and interaction helped us iterate and created new Junto app



The willingness to help is high, but the effort needs to be super low

Friends and family want to help, but they also have their own lives and can't always be physically present.

Everything needs to feel more personal and emotional

Long term goals feels impossible to reach because it requires sustained effort, but more so about the emotional barrier that comes along.

Users need something new to keep them going
ADHD brain crave for new things. The added novelty would motivate them while achieving goals.





KEY DECISIONS & ITERATION



HMW create a low effort experience for busy friends?



V1:
Accountability partners have to scroll and check user’s updates from the feed.


New Junto: 
A buddy mode that lives across the iOS ecosystem for easy access.








HMW help user overcome both the emotional and the decision barriers? 



V1:
User felt overwhelmes to see so many things in once. Current design solves the utility problems but not emotional ones.


New Junto:
AI does the hard part of breaking down goals to tasks, and suggesting efforts in small, medium, or large. 

You can let your partners know how you feel about each tasks. 

Big challenge or small win? Swipe through tasks to find the one that suits your mood.









HMW design motivation and encouragement?



V1: 
The feed and interaction feel like another social media, raising questions about meaningful connection and long term engagement.


New Junto:
Micro interaction and nudges that carry more emotional weight


Collect and stack: A reward system with added novelty for ADHD brain







MEASURING SUCCESS 



Validated by users and healthcare professionals



“An app with AI cannot make me do anything. I will do things to not disappoint a friend.

- 30 year-old entrepreneur
“I want to be there for my friend but I can’t always be physically available, so this is a great tool.

- 27 year old graduate student
“This solution leverages the right amount of human connection that people with ADHD need.

- ADHD therapist





We tested our concept by running Ads on Instagram. The post got 1.1% CTR! 


CTR benchmark: 
Average 0.58% and 1.20%
0.85% for Health & Wellness industry



Interested to see more?

Happy to dive deeper into both software and hardware iteration, or how we design the product around Junto’s business strategy! Reach out to me at: eileenfengyl@gmail.com




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© Eileen Feng
Product Design @ Junto