PalettePass

Team

Austin Mullin
Max Korten
Jen Stephens

My Role

Visual Designer

Software

Figma
FigJam
Mural
After Effects(Reel)

Timeline

Research

2 Months

Ideation

2 Weeks

Design

1 Month

Intro

The concept for PalettePass originated from Divertical, an organization dedicated to providing social opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum. Currently, all Divertical events are hosted on Meetup.com, but as the organization expands and offers more events, both event organizers and attendees have encountered growing challenges with the Meetup platform.

Challenges

Autism-Related Profiles: Our primary event platform does not offer features to display individual profile information related to autism or how to accommodate such specific needs.

Communication Challenges: Meetup's communication features are limited, with notifications only sent via email and no option for group messaging, hindering real-time communication.

Visibility and Security of Personal Information: Users don’t want to be too vulnerable about this conditions and want to keep information private with the organizers

WCAG Compliance: There were concerns about inaccessible content, complicated navigation, and aesthetics that were not sensory-friendly.

Solutions

PaletteProfile: Questionnaire discussing user behavior in social settings, helping event organizers understand how to support its attendees more effectively during events.

Simplified Navigation: Eliminated unnecessary travel by using collapsible sections to simplify access to key information, enabling users to easily find what’s most relevant to them.

Live Event Chat: Allows attendees and organizers to communicate instantly during events. Attendees can also now directly call the event organizers through the app.

Neurobrutualism: Design Style that implement retains a bold, impactful feel, but we’ve made it more accessible, keeping user comfort and WCAG guidelines in mind.

Disclaimer

The findings in this case study are derived from institutional research conducted at the request of Divertical staff. To ensure privacy, the content has been adjusted to protect the personal experiences and feedback of individuals with neurological differences.

research

Information Session

During these sessions, participants shared their experiences with resources,technologies, and improvements needed for our Meetup platform.

Objective:

Rank desired design solutions from focus group.

setup process

Mural Orientation (1-2 min):
- Explanation of the digital canvas and interactive features.
Step 1: Data Collection (8 min):
- Participants individually write responses to four focus group questions within 2 minutes per question.
Step 2: Data Analysis/Clustering (8 min):
- Participants cluster sticky notes by main topics or themes.
- Analyze and group responses for each question sequentially.
Step 3: Discussion (15-30 mins):
- Each participant has 1-2 minutes to speak, with others muted.

Note: Responses and personal data will remain confidential and will only be shared with designated team members (Max, Austin, Jen).

Survey

The Mural Exercise gave us some great insights, which we then used to craft a survey for a wider audience.

Objective:

Rank desired design solutions from focus group.

Additional Questions Pertaining To:

Accessibility Features
Health Resources
Social Media Websites
Demographics

ideation

Persona

keyboard_arrow_down

Amanda

Background

Age: 30
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Neurological Difference: Autism

User Needs

Accessible Info: Simple event details and easy navigation
Organized Events: Well-structured and clear opportunities
Reliable Updates: Notifications or emails
Sensory-Friendly Options: Dark mode, text resizing

User Mindsets

Curious & Open: Keen on exploring new opportunities
Cautious & Skeptical: Evaluates website credibility
Goal-Oriented: Seeks relevant events and community integration

User Flow

keyboard_arrow_down

Web Diagram

keyboard_arrow_down

Flowchart detailing the structure of an application or website with sections including Event Listings, Groups, Resources, Settings, and Messaging.

end product

[data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { display: none; } @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { [data-wf-bgvideo-fallback-img] { position: absolute; z-index: -100; display: inline-block; height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: cover; } }

Palette Profile

Challenges

Providing event organizers with meaningful insights into each attendee's unique needs and strengths, rather than relying on generalized or traditional classifications like "levels" of autism.

Our Solution

Personalized Prompts: Amanda is guided through questions about her condition, social comfort levels, preferred group sizes, and any accommodations she might need.
Spectrum Tags: Allows Amanda to select tags that reflect her behaviors and skills, creating a customized profile that highlights her unique strengths and needs.

Live Event Chat

Challenges

‍During events, timely communication with attendees is crucial, yet traditional platforms like Meetup only offer discussion boards, which can be inefficient for real-time updates.

Our Solution

Live Event Chat Feature: Enables instant communication between attendees and organizers during events.
Real-Time Support: Amanda can quickly reach out to the organizer for directions or assistance with any questions.
Exclusive Access: Only those who RSVP'd can access the chat, ensuring relevant, focused communication among active participants.

RSVP Check-In System

Challenges

Platforms like Meetup often see high RSVP rates but low actual attendance, leading to issues with space reservations and event preparations.

Our Solution

RSVP Check-In System: Designed to improve attendance accuracy by requiring attendees to confirm their participation as the event date approaches.
Automated Notifications: Attendees receive reminders to confirm attendance, helping organizers better anticipate actual turnout.
Status Categories:
- Confirmed List: Attendees who respond in time are added to the confirmed list.
- No Answer: Attendees who don’t confirm are marked as "No Answer" without being removed, allowing organizers to track them separately.

Event Page

Challenges

Our previous platform offered very limited customization in presenting content, often overwhelming attendees with too much information at once and lacking flexibility in how details were displayed.

Our Solution

Streamlined Navigation with Separate Tabs: Our app organizes event details into dedicated tabs, making it easy to access different types of information.
Collapsible Sections: Key sections like "About," "Where to Meet," and "Tags" are featured at the top, reducing on-screen clutter.
Organizer & Attendee Profiles: Users can view both organizers and attendees to get a sense of the community.

accessibility

Mobile screen showing an event invitation with WCAG color compliance ratings.

Color Contrast

Designed the app to meet the recommended 4.5:1 contrast ratio for text, enhancing readability and accessibility for users with low vision or color blindness.

Three buttons labeled "Default," "Hovered," and "Pressed" with cursor actions shown.

Targeted Use of Shadows

To enhance usability, we've strategically introduced shadows, in order to improve the legibility of interactive components, as well as their statuses.