Paint Community
An app project covering the full process from preliminary user research and in-depth interviews to high-fidelity user-flow and screen design, development, and implementation.
Observations during volunteer sessions revealed that autistic children may struggle with verbal expression, blank-page anxiety, and spoken feedback, while educators may find it difficult to identify each child's pace and needs. These insights inspired an exploration of how sensory elements such as music and color, combined with gentle nonverbal feedback, could help children express themselves more comfortably through art.
The project identifies the needs of two key user groups: special education tutors and autistic children. Tutors need simple tools to assess individual needs, provide clear guidance, and track progress, while children may struggle with blank canvases, complex instructions, and creative pressure. In response, the project proposes a drawing companion app for autistic children, built around visual communication, positive feedback, predictable workflows, and short creative sessions. Key features include personalized drawing tasks, sound and touch-based guidance, nonverbal encouragement, and progress tracking to help educators and parents better understand each child's development.
The flow chart maps the app's complete user journey, from account creation and role selection to student management, assessment, and guided art creation. Teachers can set up profiles, add and monitor students, review evaluation results, and select drawing themes. Children can then create artwork on a digital canvas, confirm and publish their work, and save it to their galleries. Additional features, including a guided virtual space, customizable avatars, a friends list, a community wall, and artwork details, support creative exploration, sharing, and social interaction.
The project has completed high‑fidelity design and undergone development implementation. It is now available as a testable build.
