Case Study: Ruhepunkt

Digital support for inclusive, sensory-reduced spaces.

Project Type

UX/UI

App Prototype

Date & Duration

July 25

5 Weeks

Team

3 UX/UI Designer

Tools

Figma & FigJam

Excalidraw

Ideation & Research

We set out to explore invisible barriers in everyday life, particularly those affecting neurodivergent people. Around 15–20% of Germany’s population experiences sensory overload from noise, light, or crowds.

At the same time, rising external stimuli (constant connectivity, dense cities, open workspaces, and continuous information flow) make sensory overload a wider societal issue, impacting far more than the neurodivergent community.

Secondary sources and initial observations revealed that people with sensory sensitivity often face invisible barriers in daily life.

Sensory Overload

Hypersensitivity to noise, light, or touch frequently causes stress and burnout.

Need for Relief

Quiet spaces, dimmed lighting, or designated “silent hours” are essential to prevent overload.

Visibility & Recognition

Many report their sensitivities are dismissed, prompting masking and self-doubt.

Communication Barriers

Expressing needs or responding spontaneously can be difficult, especially in medical or social settings.

Planning

Clear advance information (photos, floor plans, occupancy data) enables participation and reduces anxiety.

Survey

To make the field more tangible, we organized these hypotheses into the following thematic clusters, which then informed our online survey and subsequent interviews: Places & Situations, Stimuli, Coping Strategies, Communication, and Planning.

Our findings indicate that stimuli occur most frequently in supermarkets, with noise being the most commonly reported stressor.

Withdrawal emerges as the primary coping strategy, while individuals most often communicate their well-being through their behavior.

For nearly two-thirds of respondents, having detailed information about new locations, such as maps, photos, or occupancy data, is crucial to prevent sensory overload.

When needs are made visible, they are more likely to be met with understanding.

Additionally, neurodivergent individuals tend to be more hesitant when recommending locations to others.

Interviews

We conducted several interviews with affected individuals as well as with experts, such as inclusion officers.

Places & Situations

Downtown areas, public transport, supermarkets: frequent sources of stimuli
Public spaces rarely adapt to individual needs

Stimuli

Noise can also cause physical discomfort

Coping Strategies

Withdrawal most common
Communication mainly with trusted contacts
Expectation: individuals must adapt; places and others rarely adjust

Communication

Needs often expressed through behavior
Visible needs increase understanding from others

Planning

Detailed information about locations/environments increases safety
Desire for clear plans, photos, occupancy data
Interest in platforms to share information if there is a clear benefit
Safety and well-being strongly linked to predictability

Expert Perspective

Predictability is crucial; withdrawal can lead to exclusion
Challenges: diversity of needs and overlapping exclusions

Conclusions

Based on our findings, we decided to adjust our focus. The interviews and survey highlighted a pressing need for greater predictability in daily life and of sensory stimuli. Consequently, we concentrated on solutions that prioritize planning and the visibility of individual needs.

How Might We

How might we help people with varying sensory sensitivities find places that match their individual needs, thereby increasing their sense of safety, understanding, and inclusion?

Persona

Based on our interviews and surveys, a clear target group emerged: predominantly women. We chose to focus on tech-savvy women from young adulthood to their mid-30s who are sensitive to sensory stimuli. Some already have coping strategies; others are still searching. We included those who struggle to express their needs and selected the persona Olivia, who has fewer strategies and reflects the users we aim to support most.

Scenario

We chose an everyday setting for our scenario. Although a public indoor pool was not explicitly mentioned in our survey, we selected it to show that our solution is designed for all types of venues and aims to make them accessible to everyone. While such pools are generally seen as pleasant, they can be challenging for people with specific sensory needs, making them an ideal place to demonstrate our app’s features.

Scenario

Olivia wants to swim the next day but knows the pool does not offer a designated “quiet hour.” Remembering a conversation with an acquaintance who shares similar sensory needs, she recalls an app that could help.

User Journey Map

User Flow

After defining the scenario and the user journey map, we created a rough user flow based on the map, aiming to gain an initial sense of the eventual sitemap.

As the process progressed, we refined the flow and developed a separate flow for rating places, since we depend on user data and want to encourage active app engagement.

Site Map

Onboarding

Login
Personalized questionnaire (needs, preferences)

Map

direct access to:

Search & filters,
Map view with places, Live info
Recommendations

Place detail pages

Photos, 360° view,
Ratings & reviews
Show stimuli with time filter
Daily assessment, tips, Quiet spots
Rate place directly

Add Place

Easy rating and adding of places
One-click ratings (smiley/color system)
Time prompt
Filter by places you’ve rated and places still to rate

SOS

Immediate help options: emergency contact, share location
Self-help options: exercises, guides

Profile

Settings
Personalize the app: color modes, text sizes, etc.

Design Principles

In our early design research, we discovered the Neurodiversity Design System, a framework based on evidence-based principles to create inclusive, accessible, and low-stress digital environments. This system, combined with our own findings, became the foundation for our app’s design and guided the development of our own design principles.

Personalization

Users can tailor the app to their needs with adjustable text sizes, multiple color modes, and customizable content, giving them full control over their experience.

Sensory Relief

A calm, minimalist design with generous white space, clear icons, and minimal animations avoids harsh colors or sounds to reduce sensory overload.

Simplicity & Clarity

Structured navigation, plain language, and clear pictograms present information in manageable sections, while complex processes are explained step by step.

Accessibility

Built-in text-to-speech, screen-reader compatibility, and inclusive design ensure the app works for everyone and supports different communication and usage styles.

Style Guide

Typography

We chose Public Sans for the app’s typography. Originally developed for official US government websites, it is highly readable, even at small sizes, with clear letter differentiation to minimize misunderstandings. Its neutral, visually comfortable design makes it well-suited for neurodivergent users, and its flexible weights and sizes allow versatile use throughout the app.

Colors

We drew inspiration from palettes designed for autistic individuals and preferred by autistic children. While ensuring sufficient contrast and using signal colors for key elements, we applied stronger colors sparingly to avoid sensory overload. Our final palette was refined through testing, starting with intuitive experiments and early mid-fidelity frames.

Icons & Logo

We chose Lucid Icons for their simplicity and wide variety. The logo was developed during the UI design process and was heavily inspired by the ‘Sensory Friendly’ badge from the Luna Association Leipzig, which marks environments tailored to the social and sensory needs of autistic individuals. Our logo adopts this concept and incorporates a pin to emphasize the connection to places.

Wireframing Process

Our wireframes show the evolution from initial ideas to the final app design. The diagram highlights the complex interplay of stimuli and locations and the central role of time. We aimed to present personalized details, such as a daily rating and recommendations for the best visiting times, in a clear diagram, which proved challenging. The progression of the frames illustrates how we gradually added complexity and information while maintaining a clean, easy-to-read layout.

Components

In designing the buttons, we followed the Neurodiversity Design System, making them tactile and clearly clickable to provide immediate visual and physical feedback, helping users recognize interactive elements with minimal effort. Buttons and other interactive elements are visually distinct from surrounding content and consistently styled. Color contrasts, borders, and shadows further emphasize interactivity.

The Smiley Rating System allows users to quickly and easily indicate their needs, with facial expressions and signal colors (red, yellow, green) clearly conveying the meaning of each level at a glance.

Prototype

Research

Research is essential. There is already a wealth of information available, and frameworks like the Neurodiversity Design System were particularly valuable in guiding our work.

Project Planning

A detailed project plan was extremely helpful; the more thorough it is from the start, the smoother the project runs.

Collaboration

Collaboration worked very well. Initially, we made most decisions together, but later we divided tasks more to stay on schedule.

User Testing

Although not included in the case study, user testing played a crucial role. Testing the app with neurodivergent users allowed us to refine the design, focus on real user needs, and gain essential insights.

User Involvement

Involve users from the very beginning; interviews with affected individuals were invaluable.

Final Thoughts

Our biggest learning: how crucial inclusivity, transparency, and sensitivity in language and design are, even small details can impact trust.

Our strength lay in the diversity of voices and in putting the perspective of affected users at the center, supported by thorough research. A big thank you goes to our coaches and all participants.

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