Spoony — All of the Friends, None of the Fear.

Building a truly accessible and inclusive social platform required solving a unique challenge: Spoony's audience have particular (and sometimes conflicting) physical and mental needs. What's stimulating for some may be overwhelming for others and vice versa. Overly simplified designs that support some of their audience could be seen as infantilising or patronising to others. While Spoony's audience is niche, their requirements are varied, and to create a compelling brand and product experience, we needed to meet them all. Plus, with Spoony's waitlist rapidly (and impatiently!) growing, we needed to deliver in a matter of weeks.

Spoony is not your (neuro)typical social app. It’s a safe space that puts inclusivity and accessibility first. Respecting our community's motto "nothing for us, without us", Spoony engaged their waitlist, co-designing the product with more than 40,000 spoonies across the globe over six weeks. Together, they shaped everything from branding (including logo and language), key features, community guidelines, UI and UX decisions. Accessibility experts were also consulted regularly — including presenting visual designs to a legally blind consultant to ensure screen-reader friendliness. This approach allowed us to test and learn prior to releasing the MVP, ensuring traction from day 1.

In a world where social media and big tech are increasingly excluding, isolating, and endangering marginalized communities, Spoony has provided a safe and supportive alternative. Disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent people from across the globe have found a space where they can safely unmask and share authentically without fear of judgment. Some verbatim feedback: "I just wanted to say how comforting it is to have a space to talk about all these things that we sometimes have to hide." Perhaps most importantly, the average loneliness score of the community has decreased almost 19% since using Spoony.

Key features include: • calming gradients to ease the nervous system • a font designed for improved legibility • light and dark modes • alt text • screen-reader compatibility • Spoony Match — a simple way to connect with others who share your interests and/or experiences • conversation starters to ease social anxiety • ways to track and share how you're feeling with a Spoon Status and journal • a unique list of profile prompts that allow people to celebrate their true self • thoughtful reminders and notifications to drink water or take a break from scrolling