Building AI for neurodivergent people meant throwing out conventional design wisdom. Here's how we designed Tiimo's AI Co-Planner for the moments when your brain freezes, not when it flows.
For those of us who are neurodivergent, planning begins not with the crisp efficiency of calendars, but with mental static that settles over our thoughts just when we need clarity most. We know something needs to happen, but the steps remain frustratingly unclear, our energy feels unpredictable, and our brains keep circling without ever landing on solid ground.
This led us at Tiimo to design a tool that could step directly into that disorienting moment. We weren't trying to fix how executive functioning works (the mental processes that help us plan, focus, and organize), but rather to offer a bridge from feeling stuck to taking action. An entry point that respects the complexity of these cognitive processes while making that first step feel achievable.
Our AI Co-Planner represents an extension of the original vision our founders had almost ten years ago. We wanted to design something that could truly help people move from feeling overwhelmingly stuck to meaningful action and that meant building a process that reflects how executive functioning works in real life, including all the ways it can stumble, surprise us, and sometimes simply refuse to cooperate.
Our first sketches deliberately ignored conventional user interface wisdom. We bypassed concerns about layouts and color schemes to focus on something far more important: understanding what actually happens when executive functioning hits an invisible wall.
We returned to our most reliable source of insight, the stories our users had shared over years of conversations. In interview after interview, people described the same experience: they would open our app with genuine hope, face the blank space where their organized day should materialize, and feel that familiar overwhelm creep in. So rather than designing for productive flow state like most apps do, we made a deliberate choice to build for something much less glamorous: the pause that comes before action becomes possible.
"In my mornings with my husband, he reminds me to get out the door. He helps me pay my bills. Helene, our other co-founder, asks me to body double sometimes with her. All of these things, if it is a machine that can break down your task, then why not get the support."
— Melissa, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer
This revealed the gap we were really designing for: those solitary moments when you desperately need help to start, your internal resources feel depleted, and having the right support at exactly the right moment becomes the difference between staying stuck and moving forward.
We understood that tone would make or break this entire project. Our Co-Planner couldn't sound like every other productivity assistant with their relentless cheerfulness and underlying assumption that motivation is simply a matter of finding the right encouragement.
Instead, we needed something that could speak like Tiimo had always aspired to: with genuine kindness that doesn't condescend, calmness that doesn't dismiss real challenges, inclusive understanding of different cognitive styles, and nuanced groundedness that comes from recognizing productivity isn't a moral virtue.
The voice we searched for had to communicate what most productivity tools miss entirely: you're not behind some imaginary schedule, you're not broken because your brain works differently, and it's wise to start small rather than attempting to transform your entire life overnight. Knowing our users meant understanding from the beginning that rejection sensitivity and demand avoidance are real factors, where the wrong phrase can trigger immediate shutdown and undermine any planning progress.
Tone became the first layer we prototyped extensively. We tested dozens of conversation flows to understand how the AI should respond when someone admits they're exhausted, what it should say when anxiety transforms simple tasks into overwhelming challenges, and how it should handle fragmented thoughts that tumble out when executive functioning is running on empty.
We asked what the system should say when you write a list that makes no logical sense, when your thoughts are so scattered you can't even follow your reasoning, and most importantly, what it should say when you don't write anything at all.
Everything we built reflects this fundamental philosophy: the Co-Planner asks about your energy levels because they matter more than ambitious to-do lists, suggests one manageable task instead of overwhelming you with options, and responds with softness when you're struggling because shame has never motivated sustainable change.
Years ago, our original logo was a simple turquoise blob with eyes, but we moved away from that approach to the cleaner, more abstract circular logo. Now, with this update, we've brought a character back but one that's been completely reimagined. The new Tiimo character guides users through planning with calm expressions that mirror their emotional state, waiting patiently without aggressive prompting.
We rejected every element of typical productivity culture: celebrating completed tasks with excessive fanfare, bouncing excitement for minor interactions, relentless energy that never acknowledges when you need quiet companionship. Instead, we focused on creating emotional intelligence in action, a presence that reflects your natural pace and supports quietly from whatever distance feels comfortable.
The Co-Planner's interface maintains careful simplicity while concealing complexity behind every element. It begins with nothing more intimidating than a single prompt where users can type or speak whatever thoughts are crowding their minds, regardless of how scattered or incomplete they might seem.
From that starting point, Tiimo begins the work of thoughtfully shaping raw mental content into something actionable. It pulls relevant items from existing lists without making assumptions about priorities, and asks if you want help organizing thoughts without judgment about their current state.
When something looks overwhelming enough to trigger shutdown, the Co-Planner offers to break it down or suggests moving it to a day when you might have more resources. When something remains unclear, the AI asks for clarification with patience; someone who understands clarity often emerges slowly rather than arriving fully formed.
"We always wanted to make the product as personalized as possible, because we know everybody is unique. The more we could tailor the product to the specific end user, the better."
— Helene Nørlem, Co-founder and Co-CEO
But here's what makes this fundamentally different: the AI accomplishes all this without making a single assumption about what you should do, how you should prioritize, or what your ideal day should look like.
Our development process revealed numerous features that looked brilliant in theory but crumbled when confronted with real life. Full auto-scheduling seemed like ultimate AI efficiency until we realized it eliminated the sense of personal agency that makes planning feel empowering rather than oppressive.
Motivational nudges sounded supportive in design documents until they started feeling pushy for users already struggling with shame around planning abilities. When we tested these through the lens of executive dysfunction, they consistently failed to deliver promised support, often creating new stress instead of reducing cognitive load.
This shifted our entire approach: we wanted Tiimo to absorb planning friction without replacing meaningful human connections. We eliminated productivity streaks that create guilt when life interrupts our intentions, rejected scoring systems that turn planning into a performance that can be failed, and refused features that punish users for needing to change course.
"It is not because we want to take the humans out of it, but the time with the human could be more quality time. Then my boyfriend at home can be my boyfriend instead of being my clerk and my calendar and my to-do list."
— Melissa
Neurodivergent life includes days that begin with hope but end in overwhelm, mornings drowning in executive dysfunction, weeks where plans crumble under unexpected challenges. This is exactly when the Co-Planner needed to work, not just during good days, but especially when executive functioning falters.
The tool always reopens exactly where you left it, without judgment about gaps between interactions, whether that's hours or weeks. Nothing accumulates digital clutter or guilt-inducing reminders. Nothing is forced in ways that create additional pressure during challenging times.
We continue testing every aspect with the patience of people who understand meaningful change happens slowly and sustainably. Next versions will offer deeper personalization that learns from individual patterns without feeling invasive. We're investing in local AI capabilities that function offline, because reliable planning support shouldn't depend on internet connectivity.
But we're building slowly and intentionally, prioritizing getting the foundation right over moving fast. We're not trying to impress investors or dominate markets.
"The first time we had a user testing it and the feedback was positive, and it had actually really helped. I remember I almost cried."
— Helene
What drives our continued work: not the pursuit of perfection or productivity optimization, but the quiet possibility that someone's day might feel a little more manageable, a little less overwhelming, a little more aligned with their actual capacity rather than external expectations.
We're designing for the possibility of days that feel a little more manageable. And that's only the beginning of what we hope to build together with our community.
Building AI for neurodivergent people meant throwing out conventional design wisdom. Here's how we designed Tiimo's AI Co-Planner for the moments when your brain freezes, not when it flows.
For those of us who are neurodivergent, planning begins not with the crisp efficiency of calendars, but with mental static that settles over our thoughts just when we need clarity most. We know something needs to happen, but the steps remain frustratingly unclear, our energy feels unpredictable, and our brains keep circling without ever landing on solid ground.
This led us at Tiimo to design a tool that could step directly into that disorienting moment. We weren't trying to fix how executive functioning works (the mental processes that help us plan, focus, and organize), but rather to offer a bridge from feeling stuck to taking action. An entry point that respects the complexity of these cognitive processes while making that first step feel achievable.
Our AI Co-Planner represents an extension of the original vision our founders had almost ten years ago. We wanted to design something that could truly help people move from feeling overwhelmingly stuck to meaningful action and that meant building a process that reflects how executive functioning works in real life, including all the ways it can stumble, surprise us, and sometimes simply refuse to cooperate.
Our first sketches deliberately ignored conventional user interface wisdom. We bypassed concerns about layouts and color schemes to focus on something far more important: understanding what actually happens when executive functioning hits an invisible wall.
We returned to our most reliable source of insight, the stories our users had shared over years of conversations. In interview after interview, people described the same experience: they would open our app with genuine hope, face the blank space where their organized day should materialize, and feel that familiar overwhelm creep in. So rather than designing for productive flow state like most apps do, we made a deliberate choice to build for something much less glamorous: the pause that comes before action becomes possible.
"In my mornings with my husband, he reminds me to get out the door. He helps me pay my bills. Helene, our other co-founder, asks me to body double sometimes with her. All of these things, if it is a machine that can break down your task, then why not get the support."
— Melissa, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer
This revealed the gap we were really designing for: those solitary moments when you desperately need help to start, your internal resources feel depleted, and having the right support at exactly the right moment becomes the difference between staying stuck and moving forward.
We understood that tone would make or break this entire project. Our Co-Planner couldn't sound like every other productivity assistant with their relentless cheerfulness and underlying assumption that motivation is simply a matter of finding the right encouragement.
Instead, we needed something that could speak like Tiimo had always aspired to: with genuine kindness that doesn't condescend, calmness that doesn't dismiss real challenges, inclusive understanding of different cognitive styles, and nuanced groundedness that comes from recognizing productivity isn't a moral virtue.
The voice we searched for had to communicate what most productivity tools miss entirely: you're not behind some imaginary schedule, you're not broken because your brain works differently, and it's wise to start small rather than attempting to transform your entire life overnight. Knowing our users meant understanding from the beginning that rejection sensitivity and demand avoidance are real factors, where the wrong phrase can trigger immediate shutdown and undermine any planning progress.
Tone became the first layer we prototyped extensively. We tested dozens of conversation flows to understand how the AI should respond when someone admits they're exhausted, what it should say when anxiety transforms simple tasks into overwhelming challenges, and how it should handle fragmented thoughts that tumble out when executive functioning is running on empty.
We asked what the system should say when you write a list that makes no logical sense, when your thoughts are so scattered you can't even follow your reasoning, and most importantly, what it should say when you don't write anything at all.
Everything we built reflects this fundamental philosophy: the Co-Planner asks about your energy levels because they matter more than ambitious to-do lists, suggests one manageable task instead of overwhelming you with options, and responds with softness when you're struggling because shame has never motivated sustainable change.
Years ago, our original logo was a simple turquoise blob with eyes, but we moved away from that approach to the cleaner, more abstract circular logo. Now, with this update, we've brought a character back but one that's been completely reimagined. The new Tiimo character guides users through planning with calm expressions that mirror their emotional state, waiting patiently without aggressive prompting.
We rejected every element of typical productivity culture: celebrating completed tasks with excessive fanfare, bouncing excitement for minor interactions, relentless energy that never acknowledges when you need quiet companionship. Instead, we focused on creating emotional intelligence in action, a presence that reflects your natural pace and supports quietly from whatever distance feels comfortable.
The Co-Planner's interface maintains careful simplicity while concealing complexity behind every element. It begins with nothing more intimidating than a single prompt where users can type or speak whatever thoughts are crowding their minds, regardless of how scattered or incomplete they might seem.
From that starting point, Tiimo begins the work of thoughtfully shaping raw mental content into something actionable. It pulls relevant items from existing lists without making assumptions about priorities, and asks if you want help organizing thoughts without judgment about their current state.
When something looks overwhelming enough to trigger shutdown, the Co-Planner offers to break it down or suggests moving it to a day when you might have more resources. When something remains unclear, the AI asks for clarification with patience; someone who understands clarity often emerges slowly rather than arriving fully formed.
"We always wanted to make the product as personalized as possible, because we know everybody is unique. The more we could tailor the product to the specific end user, the better."
— Helene Nørlem, Co-founder and Co-CEO
But here's what makes this fundamentally different: the AI accomplishes all this without making a single assumption about what you should do, how you should prioritize, or what your ideal day should look like.
Our development process revealed numerous features that looked brilliant in theory but crumbled when confronted with real life. Full auto-scheduling seemed like ultimate AI efficiency until we realized it eliminated the sense of personal agency that makes planning feel empowering rather than oppressive.
Motivational nudges sounded supportive in design documents until they started feeling pushy for users already struggling with shame around planning abilities. When we tested these through the lens of executive dysfunction, they consistently failed to deliver promised support, often creating new stress instead of reducing cognitive load.
This shifted our entire approach: we wanted Tiimo to absorb planning friction without replacing meaningful human connections. We eliminated productivity streaks that create guilt when life interrupts our intentions, rejected scoring systems that turn planning into a performance that can be failed, and refused features that punish users for needing to change course.
"It is not because we want to take the humans out of it, but the time with the human could be more quality time. Then my boyfriend at home can be my boyfriend instead of being my clerk and my calendar and my to-do list."
— Melissa
Neurodivergent life includes days that begin with hope but end in overwhelm, mornings drowning in executive dysfunction, weeks where plans crumble under unexpected challenges. This is exactly when the Co-Planner needed to work, not just during good days, but especially when executive functioning falters.
The tool always reopens exactly where you left it, without judgment about gaps between interactions, whether that's hours or weeks. Nothing accumulates digital clutter or guilt-inducing reminders. Nothing is forced in ways that create additional pressure during challenging times.
We continue testing every aspect with the patience of people who understand meaningful change happens slowly and sustainably. Next versions will offer deeper personalization that learns from individual patterns without feeling invasive. We're investing in local AI capabilities that function offline, because reliable planning support shouldn't depend on internet connectivity.
But we're building slowly and intentionally, prioritizing getting the foundation right over moving fast. We're not trying to impress investors or dominate markets.
"The first time we had a user testing it and the feedback was positive, and it had actually really helped. I remember I almost cried."
— Helene
What drives our continued work: not the pursuit of perfection or productivity optimization, but the quiet possibility that someone's day might feel a little more manageable, a little less overwhelming, a little more aligned with their actual capacity rather than external expectations.
We're designing for the possibility of days that feel a little more manageable. And that's only the beginning of what we hope to build together with our community.
Building AI for neurodivergent people meant throwing out conventional design wisdom. Here's how we designed Tiimo's AI Co-Planner for the moments when your brain freezes, not when it flows.
For those of us who are neurodivergent, planning begins not with the crisp efficiency of calendars, but with mental static that settles over our thoughts just when we need clarity most. We know something needs to happen, but the steps remain frustratingly unclear, our energy feels unpredictable, and our brains keep circling without ever landing on solid ground.
This led us at Tiimo to design a tool that could step directly into that disorienting moment. We weren't trying to fix how executive functioning works (the mental processes that help us plan, focus, and organize), but rather to offer a bridge from feeling stuck to taking action. An entry point that respects the complexity of these cognitive processes while making that first step feel achievable.
Our AI Co-Planner represents an extension of the original vision our founders had almost ten years ago. We wanted to design something that could truly help people move from feeling overwhelmingly stuck to meaningful action and that meant building a process that reflects how executive functioning works in real life, including all the ways it can stumble, surprise us, and sometimes simply refuse to cooperate.
Our first sketches deliberately ignored conventional user interface wisdom. We bypassed concerns about layouts and color schemes to focus on something far more important: understanding what actually happens when executive functioning hits an invisible wall.
We returned to our most reliable source of insight, the stories our users had shared over years of conversations. In interview after interview, people described the same experience: they would open our app with genuine hope, face the blank space where their organized day should materialize, and feel that familiar overwhelm creep in. So rather than designing for productive flow state like most apps do, we made a deliberate choice to build for something much less glamorous: the pause that comes before action becomes possible.
"In my mornings with my husband, he reminds me to get out the door. He helps me pay my bills. Helene, our other co-founder, asks me to body double sometimes with her. All of these things, if it is a machine that can break down your task, then why not get the support."
— Melissa, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer
This revealed the gap we were really designing for: those solitary moments when you desperately need help to start, your internal resources feel depleted, and having the right support at exactly the right moment becomes the difference between staying stuck and moving forward.
We understood that tone would make or break this entire project. Our Co-Planner couldn't sound like every other productivity assistant with their relentless cheerfulness and underlying assumption that motivation is simply a matter of finding the right encouragement.
Instead, we needed something that could speak like Tiimo had always aspired to: with genuine kindness that doesn't condescend, calmness that doesn't dismiss real challenges, inclusive understanding of different cognitive styles, and nuanced groundedness that comes from recognizing productivity isn't a moral virtue.
The voice we searched for had to communicate what most productivity tools miss entirely: you're not behind some imaginary schedule, you're not broken because your brain works differently, and it's wise to start small rather than attempting to transform your entire life overnight. Knowing our users meant understanding from the beginning that rejection sensitivity and demand avoidance are real factors, where the wrong phrase can trigger immediate shutdown and undermine any planning progress.
Tone became the first layer we prototyped extensively. We tested dozens of conversation flows to understand how the AI should respond when someone admits they're exhausted, what it should say when anxiety transforms simple tasks into overwhelming challenges, and how it should handle fragmented thoughts that tumble out when executive functioning is running on empty.
We asked what the system should say when you write a list that makes no logical sense, when your thoughts are so scattered you can't even follow your reasoning, and most importantly, what it should say when you don't write anything at all.
Everything we built reflects this fundamental philosophy: the Co-Planner asks about your energy levels because they matter more than ambitious to-do lists, suggests one manageable task instead of overwhelming you with options, and responds with softness when you're struggling because shame has never motivated sustainable change.
Years ago, our original logo was a simple turquoise blob with eyes, but we moved away from that approach to the cleaner, more abstract circular logo. Now, with this update, we've brought a character back but one that's been completely reimagined. The new Tiimo character guides users through planning with calm expressions that mirror their emotional state, waiting patiently without aggressive prompting.
We rejected every element of typical productivity culture: celebrating completed tasks with excessive fanfare, bouncing excitement for minor interactions, relentless energy that never acknowledges when you need quiet companionship. Instead, we focused on creating emotional intelligence in action, a presence that reflects your natural pace and supports quietly from whatever distance feels comfortable.
The Co-Planner's interface maintains careful simplicity while concealing complexity behind every element. It begins with nothing more intimidating than a single prompt where users can type or speak whatever thoughts are crowding their minds, regardless of how scattered or incomplete they might seem.
From that starting point, Tiimo begins the work of thoughtfully shaping raw mental content into something actionable. It pulls relevant items from existing lists without making assumptions about priorities, and asks if you want help organizing thoughts without judgment about their current state.
When something looks overwhelming enough to trigger shutdown, the Co-Planner offers to break it down or suggests moving it to a day when you might have more resources. When something remains unclear, the AI asks for clarification with patience; someone who understands clarity often emerges slowly rather than arriving fully formed.
"We always wanted to make the product as personalized as possible, because we know everybody is unique. The more we could tailor the product to the specific end user, the better."
— Helene Nørlem, Co-founder and Co-CEO
But here's what makes this fundamentally different: the AI accomplishes all this without making a single assumption about what you should do, how you should prioritize, or what your ideal day should look like.
Our development process revealed numerous features that looked brilliant in theory but crumbled when confronted with real life. Full auto-scheduling seemed like ultimate AI efficiency until we realized it eliminated the sense of personal agency that makes planning feel empowering rather than oppressive.
Motivational nudges sounded supportive in design documents until they started feeling pushy for users already struggling with shame around planning abilities. When we tested these through the lens of executive dysfunction, they consistently failed to deliver promised support, often creating new stress instead of reducing cognitive load.
This shifted our entire approach: we wanted Tiimo to absorb planning friction without replacing meaningful human connections. We eliminated productivity streaks that create guilt when life interrupts our intentions, rejected scoring systems that turn planning into a performance that can be failed, and refused features that punish users for needing to change course.
"It is not because we want to take the humans out of it, but the time with the human could be more quality time. Then my boyfriend at home can be my boyfriend instead of being my clerk and my calendar and my to-do list."
— Melissa
Neurodivergent life includes days that begin with hope but end in overwhelm, mornings drowning in executive dysfunction, weeks where plans crumble under unexpected challenges. This is exactly when the Co-Planner needed to work, not just during good days, but especially when executive functioning falters.
The tool always reopens exactly where you left it, without judgment about gaps between interactions, whether that's hours or weeks. Nothing accumulates digital clutter or guilt-inducing reminders. Nothing is forced in ways that create additional pressure during challenging times.
We continue testing every aspect with the patience of people who understand meaningful change happens slowly and sustainably. Next versions will offer deeper personalization that learns from individual patterns without feeling invasive. We're investing in local AI capabilities that function offline, because reliable planning support shouldn't depend on internet connectivity.
But we're building slowly and intentionally, prioritizing getting the foundation right over moving fast. We're not trying to impress investors or dominate markets.
"The first time we had a user testing it and the feedback was positive, and it had actually really helped. I remember I almost cried."
— Helene
What drives our continued work: not the pursuit of perfection or productivity optimization, but the quiet possibility that someone's day might feel a little more manageable, a little less overwhelming, a little more aligned with their actual capacity rather than external expectations.
We're designing for the possibility of days that feel a little more manageable. And that's only the beginning of what we hope to build together with our community.
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