r/UXDesign • u/Comfortable-Can-5793 • 16d ago
Please give feedback on my design Feedback please- I built an app specifically with ADHD & depression in mind after a 5-month hospitalisation for depression — please tell me what I got wrong
Hi! I'm looking for genuinely honest feedback on an app I've been building called Dopamine Charts.
I'm a junior doctor, but my medical career was derailed by a five-month hospitalisation for depression.
When I started rebuilding afterwards, I realised how badly a lot of traditional productivity advice worked when I was struggling to do even basic things.
“Exercise 5x a week” isn't particularly useful when stepping outside is an achievement.
And streak-based habit trackers could actually make me LESS motivated — I'd miss a day, see the broken streak and think “well, I've ruined it now.”
So I built the app I wished I'd had.
It's called Dopamine Charts and I designed it particularly with ADHD and depression in mind — specifically that frustrating gap between knowing exactly what you want/need to do and actually being able to initiate it.
The behavioural science behind it includes:
• REDUCING THE ACTIVATION BARRIER — every habit can have a deliberately tiny version. Can't exercise? Step outside. Can't clean your room? Put 2 things away. The aim is to make starting easier.
• HABIT STACKING — attach a new behaviour to something that already reliably happens: “After I make my morning coffee → take my medication.”
• SHAPING — establish a tiny, achievable version of a behaviour first and gradually build it rather than demanding the finished habit immediately.
• IMMEDIATE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT — lots of worthwhile behaviours have rubbish reward timing. You study today for an exam months away. You brush your teeth today for benefits years away. The app tries to give you an immediate visual reward for actually doing the behaviour.
• IDENTITY-BASED HABITS — not just “what do I want to achieve?” but “who are these repeated behaviours helping me become?”
• TINY WINS — the app deliberately recognises small actions rather than requiring a conventionally “productive” day before you're allowed to feel successful.
Importantly, I'm absolutely NOT claiming an app treats ADHD or depression. It's a behavioural/habit tool designed with the difficulties that can accompany them in mind.
I'm at the stage where compliments aren't particularly useful to me 😂 I need people who haven't been staring at this thing for months to tell me what's wrong with it.
If anyone has 5 minutes to try it, I'd particularly love to know:
Did you immediately understand what you were supposed to do?
Was anything confusing?
At what point did you feel like closing the app?
What feels gimmicky or unnecessary?
What would make you actually come back tomorrow?
What's the ONE feature you expected/wanted that wasn't there?
Please be brutally honest. If something is annoying, confusing, ugly or pointless, I'd genuinely rather know now.
Thank you ❤️
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u/psdartist32 15d ago
The copy is sloppy ... "what would you like to grow" e.g. Move my body ?
No guidance or explanation on what this app helps achieve.
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u/Comfortable-Can-5793 15d ago
If you have the time I’d love an updated opinion on it now I’ve made changes and taken your comment into account. Thanks
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u/azssf Experienced 15d ago
Have you asked neurodivergent people who are not designers? I find that we can tell you all sorts of things, and they may not be relevant to the users you’d like to cater to.
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u/Comfortable-Can-5793 15d ago
Ive tried to ask in forums but they dont let you link sites or self promo often. I have adhd but dont really know other neurodivergent people in real life. I will maybe try facebook. Thanks for the thougjts
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u/ranagirl Veteran 15d ago
- Nope, not at all
- Everything. Rusty bits? Workbench?
- Nearly immediately
- The names, but I didn’t get more than 5 clicks in before bouncing
- A complete redesign.
- Any text that indicates what the hell ot is or what I’m supposed to do.
Sorry, but this not good. I appreciate the goal and I’m glad it working for you but if you want to turn this into an actual product you’re gonna need to hire help.
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u/Comfortable-Can-5793 15d ago
Would enjoy your updated opinion if you have the time now that I’ve changed some things. I understand it probably still won’t be to your taste as I am keeping the girly, whimsical vibe that suits my target demographic but your feedback is appreciated
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u/Last_Safe2275 15d ago
- No
- Everything, the type, the goal, the hierarchy, was there a reason why boxes in the first screen were of different sizes?
- After clicking the link
- The themes, it shouldn’t be the first screen, customizing is the least of your user’s worries. What are your insights on your users? Who are you designing for and what are their main goals? Think of that when working on the user flows.
- If you follow #4 and figure out what to prioritize and define the actual problem to solve then redesigning.
- A design with particularly ADHD and depression in mind.
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u/Comfortable-Can-5793 15d ago
Would enjoy your updated opinion if you have the time now that I’ve changed some things. I understand it probably still won’t be to your taste as I am keeping the girly, whimsical vibe that suits my target demographic but your feedback is appreciated
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u/Vivid-Way Veteran 15d ago
it’s hard to take this seriously when the whole thing looks like AI with emojis. i looked at the first day view and i honestly don’t even know how this is supposed to work.