Designing for Focus and Flexibility: A Participatory Design Approach to Academic Planning Tools

Abstract

Academic stress is a pervasive issue in higher education, with university students experiencing significant consequences on their mental health, performance, and well-being. Despite the abundance of digital support tools, many fail to meet students’ cognitive and emotional needs, often due to limited user-involvement in their design. This study explores participatory design as a methodological solution to this problem, and aims to inform the development of a digital academic tool that is both usable and emotionally supportive for students experiencing academic stress. The research was conducted in two phases. In Experiment I, 7 university students participated in a co-design session employing generative techniques, such as collage making and group discussion. This approach uncovered implicit needs and design preferences amongst students, such as a desire for clarity, flexibility, and comfort, which guided the creation of a medium-fidelity interactive prototype in Figma. In Experiment II, twelve participants interacted with the prototype, completing structured planning tasks and providing feedback via the System Usability Scale (SUS), Short Stress State Questionnaire (SSSQ), and Likert-scale items assessing future use and perceived alignment with their needs. Participants also engaged in think-aloud protocols and post-task reflections. Results indicated good usability (M_SUS = 70), increased task engagement, and reduced distress following tool interaction. Qualitative feedback supported the need for minimal, customizable interfaces and peer support features. Exploratory analyses suggested a possible link between higher usability and reduced stress, as well as a correlation between prior digital tool usage and increased likelihood of using this tool again, however, the small sample size limits generalisability. This study highlights the potential of participatory design to uncover students’ deeper emotional and cognitive needs, informing the creation of digital tools that are both user-centered and emotionally supportive. It also highlights the importance of evaluating both usability and short-term emotional impact when designing for student well-being.