AccessEats

Our project, AccessEats aims to improve the accessibility of self-service food ordering kiosks at Carleton University's food court for neurodivergent students. Although the full project includes research, ideation, prototyping and usability testing, this case study focuses exclusively on Milestone 1 because it is the only phase in our iteration in which our team gathered direct insights from neurodivergent students themselves. These early findings, collected through a survey of 14 Carleton University students aged between 18 and 64 - all identifying with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety or other conditions. Later milestones refined the prototype but Milestone 1 was where the core accessibility concerns emerged, shaping our direction more than any other stages. 

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​While there was no formal client for this project, instead, our target audience consisted of Carleton University students who regularly use campus dining services such as Tim Hortons, Starbucks, the food court and more. Within this group, neurodivergent students were of particular interest because they reported heightened challenges with sensory overload, information processing and interface navigation. My role during Milestone 1 involved designing the survey instruments by generating the questionnaires for our survey, synthesizing key insights into journey maps and needs statement.

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Our research relied primarily on an online survey that we created through Google Forms. The survey captured the demographic data, participants' food ordering habits on campus and their experience with kiosk interfaces. The mixed method structure allowed us to understand not only what participants were doing but why. Quantitative charts generated by Google Forms revealed usage patterns while we grouped them to identify recurring pain point and themes. Secondary research including dyslexia readability studies and web accessibility literature helped frame many of the issues participants described. All data were organized and analyzed before moving into persona and journey mapping development.

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The findings from Milestone 1 revealed that sensory and cognitive barriers significantly shaped student's food ordering experiences. More than half of participants reported encountering challenges when ordering food on campus, while 78.6% identified noise and crowds as sources of overstimulation that make it difficult to focus during the ordering process. Lighting conditions were also noted as problematic by 42.9% of the participants, suggesting that the environment surrounding kiosks plays as important role as the interface itself. ​Menu readability emerged as another major obstacle where participants frequently cited small fonts, dense text, confusing layouts and insufficient allergen information as reasons for frustration. These concerns aligned closely with dyslexia research indicating that high contrast black and white screens, tight spacing and low adjustability can cause visual stress and reduce comprehension.

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Customization and allergen confidence also surfaced as key areas of concern. Participants often abandoned orders because they were uncertain about the ingredient list, could not find allergen information or felt confused by the customization options. Many students expressed a desire for interfaces that provided more transparency, clearer descriptions and easier way to customize meals according to dietary needs. Strong preferences emerged for visual aids as well where 92.9% of participants wanted food images, 85.7% participants wanted filtering options and 71.4% wanted dietary or allergen icons. 

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The artifacts resulting from Milestone 1, our persona "Maya Smith", a journey map and low fidelity prototype helped contextualize how these accessibility barriers unfolded across a real ordering scenario. Maya's frustrations with noise, menu readability and uncertainty during customization became representative of our broader participant group. The journey map further illustrated how overstimulation and unclear information accumulated across stages of the ordering process, reinforcing the need for an interface that would reduce cognitive load through clear visual organization, better filtering tools and more environmental support adjustments. 

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Reflecting on Milestone 1, I learned that designing for neurodivergent students requires a deep understanding of how sensory and cognitive factors interact with digital environments. Many of the barriers described by participants extended beyond the interface itself, where environmental stress from noise, crowds and lighting can also influence students ability to process information. I also learned that visual clarity if not merely a design preference by a fundamental accessibility requirement. Features such as adjustable text size, simplified layouts, image-based navigation, clear allergen indicators and customizable brightness settings emerged directly from participants' needs. Besides that, this milestone deepened by ability to conduct mixed-methods UX research (qualitative and quantitative) and translate those insights into actionable design requirements. It also reinforce that meaningful accessibility work begins by listening to users and grounding decisions in the realities of those who are affected.

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Overall, Milestone 1 laid the foundation for AccessEats by highlighting the intersection between sensory conditions, cognitive demands and interface clarity. These early insights not only shaped the direction of our working prototypes but also emphasized the importance of inclusive design practices that reduced cognitive load. By starting with a thorough understanding of neurodivergent students' experiences, our team was able to create a more informed and user-centered design approach that carried through the rest of the project.