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Helping adults with autism navigate without fear

Helping adults with autism navigate without fear

Helping adults with autism navigate without fear

ROLE

Product Designer

Interaction design & prototyping, accessibility-informed visual design, usability testing

COMPANY

Indiana Institute on Disability and Community

INDUSTRY

Mobile AR

OVERVIEW

TL;DR

TL;DR

For someone on the autism spectrum, navigating an unfamiliar environment can be genuinely overwhelming — and most navigation apps make it worse, each one assuming a single way of processing space: abstract directions, dense visuals, constant rerouting. ClearPath is a research-driven exploration of how accessibility-first design and augmented reality can make wayfinding feel safe, predictable, and confidence-building instead.

70%

said they felt more confident navigating unfamiliar environments

70%

said they felt more confident navigating unfamiliar environments

70%

said they felt more confident navigating unfamiliar environments

Due to NDA, product names and visuals are abstracted. Contact me to view the presentation deck.

GLIMPSE

Here's where it landed — then here's how we got there.

Here's where it landed — then here's how we got there.

Play the video to watch the showcase video.

PROBLEM

For someone on the autism spectrum, stepping into a new place can feel like a maze.

For someone on the autism spectrum, stepping into a new place can feel like a maze.

Abstract cues like cardinal directions and distances, too much information at once, and unexpected route changes all make wayfinding hard — and that difficulty quietly shrinks independence, keeping people from venturing into public spaces alone. As designer-researcher Julie Irish has noted, autistic adults often "have a lot of fear of getting lost," because they don't experience space the way neurotypical people do.

"Adults with autism have talked or written about how they have a lot of fear of getting lost...They don’t see the world in the same way that other people do. That can make navigation hard." - Julie Irish, an interior designer and Ph.D. graduate of the University of Minnesota’s College of Design

STAKES

And this isn't a convenience problem — it's a safety and independence one.

And this isn't a convenience problem — it's a safety and independence one.

The need is large and growing, and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious. Research also shows spatial navigation is central to independent daily living — exactly the area where this group struggles most, which is what makes an intervention here matter.

178% increase in the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the US since 2000.

178% increase in the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the US since 2000.

As a consequence of spatial disorientation issues, the risk of death by accident in ASD is 3 times that of the neurotypical population.

As a consequence of spatial disorientation issues, the risk of death by accident in ASD is 3 times that of the neurotypical population.

Data and Statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder | CDC. (2023, April 4). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Guan, J., & Li, G. (2017). Injury mortality in individuals with autism. American Journal of Public Health, 107(5), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2017.303696

The fact that spatial navigation is so critical for day-to-day independent living suggests the potential benefits of such interventions for those individuals with ASD who experience difficulties with navigation in their daily lives may be quite significant.


Lind, S. E., Williams, D. M., Raber, J., Peel, A., & Bowler, D. M. (2013). Spatial navigation impairments among intellectually high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of abnormal psychology, 122(4), 1189–1199. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034819

REFRAME

The problem was never that maps are bad. It's that every nav app assumes one way of seeing the world.

The problem was never that maps are bad. It's that every nav app assumes one way of seeing the world.

Mainstream tools are built around a neurotypical cognitive model, so the opportunity wasn't a prettier map — it was stripping out the abstraction that made existing tools unusable for our users. That framed our challenge: reduce cognitive and sensory overload, support consistency and predictability, and help users build confidence over time.

MY ROLE

I worked alongside two other designers, and owned the research synthesis, prototyping, and accessibility design.

I worked alongside two other designers, and owned the research synthesis, prototyping, and accessibility design.

PRINCIPLES

So we set three rules and held to them: strip the abstraction, break it into steps, never surprise the user.

So we set three rules and held to them: strip the abstraction, break it into steps, never surprise the user.

1. Reduce abstraction
Anchor visual and audio cues to the real environment instead of a top-down map.

2. Chunk information
Deliver guidance in small, sequential steps so it never overstimulates.

3. Prioritize predictability over flexibility
Favor consistent, repeatable flows that support memory and routine.

Two values sat under every decision: independence and consistency.

ACCESSIBILITY

And I designed using accessibility-informed principles

And I designed using accessibility-informed principles

High-contrast combinations (4.5:1 and up), calm muted palettes and glassmorphism to cut sensory strain, minimal on-screen clutter, and optional sensory toggles so users tune visual and audio intensity to themselves. This wasn't a formal WCAG audit — I used the accessibility guidelines as design heuristics throughout.

SOLUTION

So the app earns a user's trust four ways — and every one is backed by research, not a hunch.

So the app earns a user's trust four ways — and every one is backed by research, not a hunch.

Personalization — because everyone's needs are different

During onboarding, users toggle sensory filters to their own comfort and add trusted peers for location sharing. The interface stays intentionally minimal so it never overwhelms.


Why?
Planning spaces for people on the spectrum may help influence their quality of life as well as encourage independence. This can be applied to the context of user-friendly interfaces.


Balaa, A. (2020). Wayfinding Experience of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder within a Museum Context. https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2020-14097

During onboarding, users toggle sensory filters to their own comfort and add trusted peers for location sharing. The interface stays intentionally minimal so it never overwhelms.


Why?
Planning spaces for people on the spectrum may help influence their quality of life as well as encourage independence. This can be applied to the context of user-friendly interfaces.


Balaa, A. (2020). Wayfinding Experience of Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder within a Museum Context. https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2020-14097

Forming routines — building a mental map in advance

Users schedule and plan journeys ahead of time and get trip-specific information for their chosen date and time, turning an unknown outing into a predictable one.

Why?
Visual support to navigate the day can help people on the spectrum by providing structure and routine.​


Meadan, H., Ostrosky, M. M., Triplett, B., Michna, A., & Fettig, A. (2011). Using Visual Supports with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 43(6), 28-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005991104300603

Users schedule and plan journeys ahead of time and get trip-specific information for their chosen date and time, turning an unknown outing into a predictable one.

Why?
Visual support to navigate the day can help people on the spectrum by providing structure and routine.​


Meadan, H., Ostrosky, M. M., Triplett, B., Michna, A., & Fettig, A. (2011). Using Visual Supports with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 43(6), 28-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005991104300603

Spatial navigation — guiding by real-world cues

Users search a destination, choose a route by how busy it is, and follow AR cues anchored to their actual surroundings — with saved notes from past trips for reassurance.

Why?
People perform wayfinding tasks better using route cues (left-right directions and landmarks) over spatial cues (distance measures or cardinal directions)


Jamshidi, S., Ensafi, M., & Pati, D. (2020). Wayfinding in Interior Environments: An Integrative review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.549628

Familiarization — visual reminders that build memory

Users capture trip notes as text, photos, or audio — landmarks they can replay the next time they take the same route.

Why?
Optimizing memory and/or spatial awareness using elements like landmarks or distinctive features can help with wayfinding and navigation.



Hund, A. M., & Gill, D. M. (2014). What constitutes effective wayfinding directions: The interactive role of descriptive cues and memory demands. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.02.006

USER TESTING

Two rounds of testing with autistic users surfaced two changes I wouldn't have reached on my own.

Two rounds of testing with autistic users surfaced two changes I wouldn't have reached on my own.

Alternate routes. Users wanted control over how they got somewhere, not just the fastest line — so I added a choice of routes ranked by how crowded each one is, with crowd-by-hour data and the option to schedule for a calmer time. Control lowers anxiety.

A calmer navigation view. The live AR view carried too much visual noise from surrounding buildings, so I added a toggle that defocuses the environment into a monotone overlay — keeping the path sharp and everything else quiet, so the user can lock onto the one thing that matters.

IMPACT

70% said they felt more confident — and one participant called it "something out of Harry Potter."

70% said they felt more confident — and one participant called it "something out of Harry Potter."

Evaluated through usability testing with individuals on the autism spectrum and expert consultation, 70% reported increased confidence navigating unfamiliar environments with AR guidance. Participants hesitated less than with traditional maps, consistently preferred route-based AR cues and landmarks over abstract directions, and responded well to the choices around consistency, reduced sensory load, and predictability.

Hear it from one of the participant:

“You’re telling me, this app right here can like tell when there’s no cars and tell you to go? This is like something out of Harry Potter! Wow this is cool!”

— Test participant

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REFLECTION

Accessibility isn't about adding features. It's about removing friction.

Accessibility isn't about adding features. It's about removing friction.

This project reframed accessibility for me: it isn't a layer you add at the end, it's friction you take away. Every choice — less on screen, fewer surprises, cues anchored to the real world — started in research and got pressure-tested by the people it was for. Designing this slowly and this deliberately, with every decision having to earn its place against evidence and feedback, is the discipline I carry into everything since.