ND-Informed UX​/UI Designer

Sensory Safety, Cognitive Load Reduction | Equity-Only (Early Stage)

IMPORTANT... READ FIRST

This is an early-stage, equity-only role.
There is no salary at this stage
.
Compensation is via equity (shares or options), with vesting.

Scope, time commitment, and review points are explicit.
This role is fractional and design-governance focused

The role converts to paid when funding or delivery contracts are secured

We are intentionally rejecting persuasive, addictive, or attention-extractive design patterns.

Role Summary

NdCare Hub is being designed as regulation-aware digital infrastructure for neurodivergent people... not a stimulation-heavy mental health app.

We are seeking an ND-Informed UX / UI Designer to shape the sensory, cognitive, and emotional experience of the platform from the ground up.

This role treats design as clinical architecture
.
Every layout, interaction, and visual choice either supports regulation or undermines it
.

Purpose of the Role

The UX / UI Designer exists to:

• Reduce cognitive, sensory, and emotional load
• Design for orientation, safety, and clarity
• Ensure accessibility is felt
  , not just compliant
• Translate nervous-system principles into real user experience

If this role is done well, users feel less overwhelmed without knowing why
.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sensory & Cognitive Safety Design

Design interfaces that minimise:

• visual clutter
• decision fatigue
• unnecessary stimulation

Consider colour, contrast, motion, spacing, and hierarchy through a regulation lens

Avoid “engagement-first” UI patterns that increase arousal or pressure

2. ND-Affirming Accessibility

Design beyond basic WCAG compliance

Account for:

• ADHD, AuDHD, and sensory sensitivity
• executive function variability
• emotional regulation states

Advocate for choice, flexibility, and user control

3. Clinical & Product Collaboration

Work closely with:

• Head of Product
• Clinical Director
• Lead Therapist
• Ensure design decisions align with therapeutic intent and ethical boundaries
• Flag designs that may unintentionally increase stress or shame

Co-create NdCare’s core UX principles

Contribute to a design system that supports:

• consistency
• low cognitive demand

Document rationale behind design decisions for governance and scaling

5. User Insight & Iteration

• Engage with ND users and lived-experience feedback
• Support testing approaches that are respectful and non-extractive

What This Role Is Not

• It is not a branding-only or visual-polish role
• It is not about flashy animations or trend-driven UI
• It is not a growth or conversion-optimisation role
• It is not expected to work at unsustainable pace

This role prioritises restraint, clarity, and safety
.

Equity, Time & Structure

• Compensation: Equity only (shares or options)
• Equity range: ~0.25–0.75%
• Vesting: 3–4 years (structure to be agreed)
• Time commitment: Project-based or ~1 day per week
• Review point: MVP design milestone
• Salary transition: On funding or product contracts

Who This Role Is For

This role may suit someone who:

• Is a UX / UI designer with strong accessibility instincts
• Is neurodivergent or deeply ND-informed
• Thinks in terms of systems, not just screens
• Values simplicity, predictability, and user dignity
• Is comfortable challenging product decisions on safety grounds

You do not need a “mental health app” portfolio... judgement matters more.

What We Explicitly Welcome

• Flexible communication styles
• Honest discussion about capacity and sensory needs

We will adapt process and expectations to support nervous-system safety.

Why This Role Matters

For neurodivergent users,
bad UX is not annoying... it is destabilising
.