WWS

We started trying to cover “all major disabilities” — unshippable, and mentors said so. We narrowed to two groups, neurodivergent and visually impaired users, and rebuilt the flows around them. My first versions run too broad; this is where I learned to cut early.

Interface design — how the two sides met and how the simulation felt to move through, with Lam’s behavioural research shaping cognitive-load and sensory choices. And the cost structure: which features ran free, which carried cost, and where a business model could sit without compromising accessibility.

A mentor named the real adoption problem: HR won’t log into a separate platform — they’ll adopt a plugin inside tools they already use. That turned the product from a destination into an extension layer. We couldn’t rebuild in time, but it’s the first change I’d make.

Real mentors who knew the space, called out what was wrong, and redirected without taking over. I’m a better product thinker for it — and that’s the environment I want next.