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Back to work Case 03 / Overstimulation Activity

Overstimulation activity: quickfire questions.

A gamified neurodiversity activity. Built around multitasking, time pressure and competing distractions.

Role
Interaction Developer
Course
Workplace neurodiversity
Format
Gamified activity
Discipline
Animation · Storyline
Background

This gamified activity was created for a workplace neurodiversity course, designed to create a sense of overstimulation through multitasking, time pressure, and competing distractions.

The experience combines three parallel interactions on one screen, enhanced with animation, rapid feedback, and custom logic to create a semi-doable, but overall overwhelming challenge.

FIG. 01 / THE MAIN ACTIVITY The activity in action
01 / Task

Translate the concept into a working interaction.

What I owned
My role

My role was to translate this concept into a fully functional Storyline interaction, ensuring it:

  • Supported the learning intention through experience, not just explanation
  • Ran reliably despite multiple simultaneous interactions
  • Balanced intentional overload with clarity and usability
  • Remained technically stable and easy to iterate on with LD and GD

Escalation of cognitive load.

Illustration of intended user experience

Cognitive load rises exponentially as additional tasks are layered on. Cognitive Load / Frustration Number of Active Tasks 1 Single task Manageable focus 2 Two tasks Divided attention 3 Three tasks Cognitive overload
Fig. 02 / Escalation of cognitive load Each task layered onto the last
02 / Action

How it came together.

Design · logic · feedback

Experience design.

  • Built the interaction around controlled cognitive overload, ensuring it functioned reliably while being intentionally overwhelming
  • Structured the screen into three parallel tasks, each competing for attention
  • Tuned pacing and difficulty to feel semi-achievable but frustrating, reinforcing the learning objective

Interaction & logic.

  • Built custom variable-driven logic to manage multiple interactions running simultaneously
  • Ensured each task can be updated independently without breaking the overall flow
  • Handled edge cases (e.g. partial completion, timing overlaps, resets)

Animation & feedback.

  • Used animation and timed feedback to increase perceived pressure and urgency
  • Layered visual cues to subtly distract and divide attention
  • Balanced this with clear feedback states so users still understood outcomes

Accessibility & usability.

  • Provided clear instructions and onboarding before the activity
  • Ensured interactions remained navigable and understandable
  • Considered how to simulate overload without completely blocking usability

Collaboration.

  • Worked closely with LD and GD to iterate on difficulty, pacing, and clarity
  • Translated abstract learning goals into a tangible interactive experience
  • Adjusted implementation based on feedback and testing
Fig. 03 / Interaction breakdown The techniques behind the activity
03 / Result

Felt, not just understood.

What it unlocked
Outcome

The final interaction successfully created a memorable and engaging experience that helped learners feel the effects of overstimulation, rather than just understand them conceptually.

Feedback highlighted the activity as a standout moment in the course, supporting empathy-building and reinforcing key learning outcomes.

This project reinforced the importance of designing not just for usability, but for experience and emotional impact, particularly when building empathy-driven learning.

Fig. 04 / Full activity Start —> overload —> end state
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