SensSafe

SensSafe

Inspiration

This idea came from watching friends with ADHD, autism, or anxiety constantly end up in places that were way too loud, bright, or crowded. They only realized once they were already overwhelmed. Normal apps tell you if the food is good or the service sucks, but nothing tells you whether the place feels like sensory chaos. So we decided to design something that should’ve existed already.

What it does

SensSafe is a concept for an app that helps people understand the sensory environment of a location before they go. Users can check noise, lighting, crowding, and overall comfort, all rated by people who actually deal with sensory overload. They can filter based on what matters to them and see a map of spots that match their tolerance. It gives people clarity instead of gambling with their comfort.

How we developed the idea

We started by talking to people who deal with sensory overload to understand what triggers them and how unpredictable public spaces can be. Then we mapped out common friction points and figured out what “sensory-friendly” actually means for different users.

Challenges we ran into

One challenge was defining sensory categories in a way that didn’t oversimplify people’s experiences. Another was keeping the concept simple enough to use but detailed enough to be helpful. We also had to keep reminding ourselves not to invent a massive feature set just because it sounded cool, the goal was a focused, functional idea, not a sci-fi super app.

Accomplishments we're proud of

We ended up with an idea that directly answers a real, everyday problem. The concept works across different neurotypes without getting confusing. The flow feels clean and practical.

What we learned

We learned that sensory accessibility looks totally different depending on who you ask. Early user input changes the entire direction of a project, And genuinely useful ideas usually start from someone being annoyed at how things currently work. Sensory accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. Listening to real experiences changes your assumptions fast. A smaller, tighter MVP is harder to design than a giant fantasy feature list. And honestly, the best ideas come from real frustration, not forced brainstorming.

What's next for SensSafe

The next steps would include validating the core assumptions with more user interviews, checking what sensory or crowd data sources already exist, refining accessibility features, and exploring partnerships with campuses, cafés, libraries, and public spaces. If the concept gets enough validation, the next logical step would be building an early prototype or mobile demo.