Phantasma turns cognitive difference into self-discovery. An empathetic platform that explores the blind mind's eye without the stigma.
( CLIENT )
Personal, 2022
( ROLE )
Designer, Researcher
( FOCUS )
UX, Research, Prototyping, Testing
Summary
Aphantasia is the inability to visualize mental images. For many who discover this trait, particularly creatives, existing resources use clinical language that frames it as a deficit, causing unnecessary distress. Primary research with 60+ individuals revealed 75% experienced emotional trauma upon discovery. The framing itself was causing harm, not the trait.
Over 12 weeks, I redesigned the experience to celebrate cognitive difference through story-led onboarding, spectrum assessment, and community connection. Users described it as "the first time I felt understood." The work led to a partnership invitation from Aphantasia.com.
My role (designer, researcher)
Led end-to-end design including branding, research, visual design, and prototype
Conducted primary research with 60+ participants
Designed narrative-driven onboarding, assessment flows, and visual identity
Facilitated usability testing and expert consultation
Why clinical language fails
The way aphantasia is currently presented to people matters more than the trait itself. When someone discovers they can't visualize, the clinical framing often triggers an unnecessary crisis around creativity and identity.
The goal
Understand what happens during the discovery process and redesign the experience so people can celebrate their cognitive difference and recognize their strengths, rather than experiencing it as a deficit.
Research
Primary research with 60+ aphantasic and non-aphantasic individuals revealed a consistent emotional journey: shock, disbelief, frantically asking everyone around them, distress over missing something fundamental, then epiphany, and finally acceptance.
75% experienced emotional distress upon discovery,
50%+ initially believed they were less creative,
Clinical language amplified negative feelings,
The framing, not the trait itself, was causing harm.
As stated by one of the participants on the survey
“…finding out about aphantasia initially made me horrified...”
What I built
A narrative-driven platform that treats aphantasia discovery as exploration rather than diagnosis. The experience guides people through understanding their place on the visualization spectrum while celebrating cognitive difference.
The platform includes
Story-led onboarding that uses narrative and gentle language instead of clinical definitions
Spectrum-based assessment that presents visualization as a continuum, not a diagnosis
Dual perspective tools showing how different minds approach the same creative challenges
Community spaces for shared experiences, support, and ongoing discovery
Outcome
Due to time constraints alongside thesis work, testing was limited but revealed strong validation for the approach.
Impact
Prototype testing showed strong emotional resonance - users described it as "the first time I felt understood"
Received partnership invitation from Aphantasia.com CEO, Tom Ebeyer, validating the market need for empathetic cognitive diversity resources
Demonstrated how storytelling and framing fundamentally shape emotional experience in design
This wasn't about fixing a design problem. It was about reframing how we introduce people to their own minds.
Reflection
This project reinforced something fundamental: how you present information shapes how it feels. The facts don't change people. The way you tell them does.
I learned that framing matters as much as functionality, that community plays a bigger role in self-discovery than I expected, and that vulnerable moments need different design thinking. If I revisited this, I'd refine the homepage flow, strengthen accessibility (I was still learning it), and explore sustainable models for community growth.