QuietMode - AAC support. Your way.
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
It refers to various methods and tools that support or replace speech for individuals with communication difficulties.
A research-driven assistive communication app designed for autistic people and AAC users during moments when speaking becomes difficult.
The product focuses on reducing cognitive load, adapting to fluctuating capacity, and enabling faster, calmer communication in real-world situations.
Rather than assuming a constant user state, QuietMode is built around the reality that communication ability, energy, and emotional regulation change throughout the day.
My Role:
Product Designer & UX lead
Plataform:
Early-stage MVP (ongoing)Web App (Future: mobile)
Timeline:
Early-stage MVP (ongoing)
Focos
Early-stage MVP (ongoing)Web App (Future: mobile)Accessibility & Calm Design
Experience QuietMode
Problem and Context
Many autistic people and AAC users experience fluctuating communication abilities. Speaking can become difficult or impossible during shutdowns, sensory overload, fatigue, or stressful social situations. While dedicated AAC devices exist, they're often prohibitively expensive, require setup and training, and aren't always accessible when needed most.
The core challenge wasn't just designing a communication tool. It was designing for users whose cognitive capacity, motor control, and sensory tolerance can shift dramatically—sometimes within minutes. Traditional UX assumptions about user attention, navigation depth, and visual hierarchy don't hold when your user might be in crisis.
Design Constraint
The tool needed to work reliably when someone's ability to process information, make decisions, or tolerate stimulus was at its lowest.
TradicionalAAC Devices
QuietMode
Research and Validation
QuietMode was designed with continuous involvement from the people it is intended to support. From early discovery through interface decisions, every core user flow was shaped by direct conversations with autistic and AAC users, as well as ongoing feedback from AAC specialists.
Research and validation were conducted through online interviews, one-to-one conversations, and engagement with targeted communities where AAC users and autistic people actively share experiences and challenges. This approach allowed feedback to be collected in contexts that reflect real usage rather than artificial testing environments.
Early research focused on identifying real communication breakdown moments, including shutdowns, low-energy states, high-pressure social situations, and preparation anxiety before appointments or meetings. These insights consistently pointed to the same issue: communication tools often fail when speed, predictability, and simplicity matter most.
Throughout development, concepts, flows, and interface decisions were reviewed with AAC professionals to validate tone, accessibility, and real-world usefulness. This continuous feedback loop helped ensure the product remained grounded in lived experience and practical needs, rather than assumptions or theoretical models.
UX Challenge
QuietMode needed to:
- Work instantly, without setup, during high stress moments
- Reduce cognitive load rather than add to it
- Respect autonomy without being overwhelming
- Adapt to the user, not force the user to adapt to the interface
Key UX Decisions
One of the central UX decisions was allowing users to explicitly set how they are feeling in the moment, such as “I can talk”, “Low energy”, or “Can’t speak right now”.
This choice directly influences the interface. Interaction density, available actions, and visual complexity adapt based on the selected state.
When energy or verbal capacity is low, the UI simplifies, prioritising tap-based interactions and removing non-essential elements.
Designing for fluctuating capacity is a core challenge. Users' abilities vary throughout the day, making consistent assumptions risky.
Accessibility and interface principles
- Low stimulation visual design with soft elevation and minimal motion
- Clear hierarchy and predictable layouts
- Touch-friendly targets and readable typography
- Progressive disclosure instead of dense screens
- Respectful, neutral language that avoids infantilization
Accessibility was treated as a baseline requirement, not an add-on.
Accessibility and interface principles
- Low stimulation visual design with soft elevation and minimal motion
- Clear hierarchy and predictable layouts
- Touch-friendly targets and readable typography
- Progressive disclosure instead of dense screens
- Respectful, neutral language that avoids infantilization
Accessibility was treated as a baseline requirement, not an add-on.
Speed Over Complexity
In overwhelming situations, QuietMode prioritizes speed over customization.
It allows quick access to essential features with minimal taps and organizes content into easily scannable blocks to reduce decision fatigue.
Some customization is possible without delaying immediate use.
Preparation as a form of support
QuietMode assists users in preparing for appointments and meetings by providing structured flows that reduce anxiety.
The interface helps users organize their thoughts, concerns, and questions before the interaction, making interactions calmer.
Making invisible patterns visible
QuietMode offers Energy Insights to help users track their speaking availability, energy levels, and moments of silence over time.
The goal is to promote self-awareness and facilitate communication with caregivers, therapists, or clinicians.
Outcomes and Learnings
The project emphasized designing for real constraints over idealized users. It showed how tools can fail when cognitive effort is underestimated and how feedback prevents designing in isolation.
QuietMode is evolving, with early validation confirming the value of adaptive interfaces based on capacity rather than consistency.
What's Next
- Continued validation with autistic users and AAC professionals
- Expanded phrase and script libraries through community input
- Optional text-to-speech integration
- iOS and Android roadmap
- Refinement of personalization without increasing complexity