While traditional programming tools rely on unstructured, real-time collaboration, they can overwhelm autistic students who struggle with social interaction and task transitions. Funded by Google, Collaborative Blockly redefines teamwork in coding.
As the lead designer, I crafted a structured, supportive experience that helps autistic students collaborate at their own pace—integrating guided interactions, subtle social cues, and effortless code-sharing to make teamwork efficient, not stressful.
My Role
Interaction Design
Learning Design
Autism Research
Team
Project Manager
Lead Designer (Me)
Front-end Engineer
Back-end Engineer
Duration
Jan 2025 - Now
Tool
Figma
BACKGROUND
Block-based programming simplifies coding by replacing syntax with visual blocks
Google Blockly, an open-source library, powers interactive coding environments that simplify programming for beginners and diverse learners.
PROBLEM
However, collaborative coding is unsupported
Most existing solutions assume users can seamlessly engage in real-time, unstructured collaboration.
However, it can be overwhelming for autistic learners who struggle with social interaction, cognitive load, and task transitions.
FINAL DESIGN
Know Who’s There, Without the Pressure
Drag, Drop, and Build on Each Other’s Work
Work In Progress
For more details, please reach out to siyunwen.design@gmail.com
