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
4. Design Systems & Principles
Co-create NdCare’s core UX principles
Contribute to a design system that supports:
- consistency
- predictability
- low cognitive demand
Document rationale behind design decisions for governance and scaling
5. User Insight & Iteration
- Engage with ND users and lived-experience feedback
- Translate qualitative insight into design improvements
- 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
- Neurodivergent designers
- Flexible communication styles
- Asynchronous working
- 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.
This role ensures NdCare:
- feels safe to enter
- feels calm to use
- does not demand more than it gives
