Self-Employment Strategy Card Finder

Prompt

1. Diagnostic Intake Flow

Core Interaction Flow (User Perspective)

1. User opens the tool during a moment of difficulty.
2. Instead of browsing dozens of strategies, they see a 20-second “What’s happening right now?” check-in.
3. User answers 4 rapid questions using taps and sliders.
4. Tool immediately calculates:
    * Current regulation state
    * Social support availability
    * Time horizon
    * Cognitive capacity
5. Tool routes directly to the best-matching strategy variant.
6. User lands on a ready-to-use strategy card.

No menus. No searching. No category browsing.

The system assumes that if someone is seeking executive function support, their executive function is already under load.

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Diagnostic Questions

Question 1: Energy & Regulation

Prompt:
“How scrambled does your brain feel right now?”

Input:
5-point visual slider

Value	Label
1	Steady
2	Slightly Frayed
3	Overloaded
4	Meltdown Approaching
5	Full Brain Fire Alarm

Stores:
regulation_level = 1-5

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Question 2: Social Context

Prompt:
“Who’s available right now?”

Input:
Large tap buttons

Options:

* Just me
* Someone nearby
* Group/class/team
* Not sure

Stores:
context = solo / partner / group / unknown

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Question 3: Available Time

Prompt:
“How much time do you realistically have?”

Input:
Single tap buttons

Options:

* Under 2 minutes
* 5 minutes
* 15 minutes
* 30+ minutes

Stores:
time_window

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Question 4: Cognitive Capacity

Prompt:
“What feels hardest right now?”

Input:
Single-select tiles

Options:

* Starting
* Choosing
* Remembering
* Staying focused
* Finishing
* Switching tasks

Stores:
target_function

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Optional Question 5 (Adaptive)

Only appears if regulation ≥4.

Prompt:
“Do you need calm first?”

Options:

* Yes
* Maybe
* No

This prevents cognitive interventions from appearing when nervous system regulation should happen first.

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Decision Logic

Every strategy variant contains metadata:

{
  "strategy_id": "Goblin_Start_Button",
  "base_function": "starting",
  "contexts": ["solo","partner","group"],
  "dysregulation_versions": true,
  "minimum_time": 2,
  "maximum_time": 15
}

Routing algorithm:

Step 1

Filter by target EF difficulty.

Example:

User selects:

“Starting”

Keep only strategies tagged:

starting
activation
task initiation

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Step 2

Filter by time.

Example:

User has:

Under 2 Minutes

Remove strategies requiring >2 minutes.

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Step 3

Filter by context.

Example:

Context = Solo

Prefer:

solo_variant

Fallback:

universal_variant

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Step 4

Apply regulation override.

If:

regulation >= 4

AND strategy has dysregulation version:

Route to:

dysregulation_variant

instead of standard version.

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Example

Inputs:

* Brain Fire Alarm
* Just Me
* Under 2 Minutes
* Starting

Output:

Not:

“Body Double Sprint”

Instead:

“Dysregulation Solo Version of Coin Quest Start”

because it:

* addresses initiation
* requires <2 minutes
* solo-compatible
* regulation-adapted

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Intake Screen Wireframe

------------------------------------------------
HEADER
What's happening right now?
(20 second check-in)
------------------------------------------------
Q1 Regulation Slider
Steady ---------------- Fire Alarm
------------------------------------------------
Q2 Context
[ Just Me ]
[ Someone Nearby ]
[ Group ]
[ Not Sure ]
------------------------------------------------
Q3 Time
[ <2 min ]
[ 5 min ]
[ 15 min ]
[ 30+ min ]
------------------------------------------------
Q4 Hardest Thing
[ Starting ]
[ Choosing ]
[ Remembering ]
[ Focusing ]
[ Finishing ]
[ Switching ]
------------------------------------------------
CONTINUE BUTTON
[ Find My Strategy ]
------------------------------------------------

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Rationale

Executive dysfunction often prevents users from accurately categorizing their needs into complex taxonomies.

Users identify current state rather than strategy type.

The system performs the classification work.

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2. Dynamic Strategy Surfacing

Core Interaction Flow

1. User completes intake.
2. Recommendation engine scores all strategy variants.
3. Highest-scoring variant appears immediately.
4. User may:
    * Start now
    * View alternate recommendations
    * Re-run intake

The default behavior is one recommendation.

Not ten.

Choice overload is intentionally reduced.

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Matching Engine

Strategy Score Formula

Function Match = 40 points
Regulation Match = 25 points
Context Match = 20 points
Time Match = 15 points
Total = 100

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Example

Strategy:

Floor Goblin Method

{
  "function":"starting",
  "context":"solo",
  "regulation":"high",
  "time":"2"
}

User:

{
  "function":"starting",
  "context":"solo",
  "regulation":"5",
  "time":"2"
}

Score:

40 + 25 + 20 + 15 = 100

Ranks #1

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Recommendation Screen Wireframe

------------------------------------------------
YOUR BEST MATCH
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Coin Quest Start
(Solo Dysregulation Version)
Why this was selected:
✓ You are overwhelmed
✓ Working alone
✓ Need to start
✓ Have less than 2 minutes
------------------------------------------------
[ Start Strategy ]
------------------------------------------------
Other Good Options
2. Floor Goblin
3. Dice Launch
4. Tiny Villain Monologue
------------------------------------------------

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Rationale

Many EF systems fail because users must become librarians of their own toolkit.

This system acts as the librarian.

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3. Quick-Reference Card + Embedded Progress Tracker

Core Interaction Flow

1. User opens strategy.
2. Instructions remain visible.
3. Progress tracker lives directly beneath each step.
4. User never switches screens.
5. Completion automatically opens reflection.

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Strategy Card Structure

Header

Strategy Name

Difficulty Badge

Expected Duration

Context Badge

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Steps

Example:

Step 1

Pick one visible object related to task.

□ Done

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Step 2

Touch object.

□ Done

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Step 3

Perform one action.

□ Done

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Embedded Tracker

Located directly below instructions.

Options vary by strategy.

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Tally Tracker

Actions Completed
[-] 3 [+]

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Rating Tracker

Effort Required
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Time Tracker

Start Timer
[ Start ]
Elapsed
2:13

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Card Wireframe

------------------------------------------------
Coin Quest Start
2 Minute Strategy
Solo + Dysregulation
------------------------------------------------
STEP 1
Find one object connected to task.
[✓]
------------------------------------------------
STEP 2
Touch object.
[✓]
------------------------------------------------
STEP 3
Perform one tiny action.
[ ]
------------------------------------------------
Progress
Actions Completed
[-] 2 [+]
------------------------------------------------
Timer
02:13
------------------------------------------------
[ Done ]
------------------------------------------------

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Rationale

Switching between instruction view and tracking view creates working-memory demands.

Measurement remains embedded inside action.

Users never need to remember where they are.

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4. Outcome Logging & Personal Pattern Library

Core Interaction Flow

1. User finishes strategy.
2. One-screen reflection appears.
3. User answers 3 taps.
4. Session saved automatically.
5. Pattern Library updates.

No journaling required.

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Logging Questions

Question 1

“Did this help?”

Buttons:

* Not Really
* A Little
* Yes
* Extremely

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Question 2

“What changed?”

Multi-select

* I started
* I stayed focused
* I finished
* I calmed down
* Something else

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Question 3

“Would you use this again?”

Thumbs Up / Neutral / Down

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Stored Data

Each session:

{
  "date",
  "time",
  "strategy",
  "variant",
  "regulation",
  "context",
  "time_available",
  "target_function",
  "outcome_rating",
  "completion",
  "duration"
}

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Pattern Detection Examples

System calculates:

Success by Regulation State

Example:

Best strategy during high stress:
Coin Quest Start
Average rating: 4.7/5

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Success by Time Window

Under 2 Minutes:
Floor Goblin
86% success

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Context Trends

Group versions work 40%
better than solo versions.

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Pattern Library Wireframe

------------------------------------------------
MY PATTERNS
------------------------------------------------
Top Helpers
1. Coin Quest Start
4.8 stars
2. Floor Goblin
4.6 stars
3. Dice Launch
4.5 stars
------------------------------------------------
When Overwhelmed
Best Strategy:
Coin Quest Start
Success Rate
92%
------------------------------------------------
Quick Wins
Under 2 Minutes
Floor Goblin
------------------------------------------------
Recent Sessions
June 18
★★★★★
Started Laundry
------------------------------------------------

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Rationale

The user gradually builds externalized self-knowledge.

The system becomes a personalized executive-function field guide.

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5. Offline-First Architecture

Core Interaction Flow

1. User opens app without internet.
2. Full toolkit remains available.
3. Intake still functions.
4. Recommendations still calculate.
5. Progress logging still saves.
6. Sync occurs automatically when online.

No dependency on connectivity.

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Local Storage

Stored entirely on device:

Toolkit Database

strategies
variants
instructions
materials
tags

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User Data

sessions
ratings
pattern metrics
favorites
history

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Cached Analytics

success rates
recommendations
rankings

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Sync Model

When internet returns:

Upload

* New sessions
* Ratings
* Pattern updates

Download

* Toolkit updates
* New strategy packs
* Bug fixes

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Conflict Resolution

Newest timestamp wins.

For analytics:

Merge records.

Never overwrite logs.

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Offline Wireframe Indicators

------------------------------------------------
⚡ Offline Mode
Everything still works.
7 sessions waiting to sync.
------------------------------------------------
[ Continue ]
------------------------------------------------

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Constraints

Available Offline:

✅ Intake
✅ Recommendations
✅ Tracking
✅ Logging
✅ Pattern Library

Unavailable Offline:

❌ Cloud backup
❌ Cross-device sync
❌ Shared accountability features
❌ Live coaching integrations

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Rationale

Executive function crises often occur:

* in cars,
* schools,
* workplaces,
* waiting rooms,
* rural areas,
* low-signal environments.

The tool must function at the exact moment support is needed, not when connectivity is available.

⸻

System-Level Transformation: From Toolkit to Decision-Support Engine

A traditional toolkit assumes the user can:

1. Recognize what problem they are experiencing.
2. Remember relevant strategies.
3. Search through options.
4. Compare variants.
5. Choose an intervention.
6. Execute it.
7. Track effectiveness.

Those seven steps are themselves executive function tasks.

This system removes most of them.

The user only identifies their current state:

* How overwhelmed am I?
* Who is available?
* How much time do I have?
* What feels hardest?

The system then performs the cognitive routing, selects the most appropriate strategy variant, embeds measurement directly within execution, captures outcomes automatically, and learns from repeated use.

Over time, the experience evolves from:

“Which strategy should I use?”

to

“Given how my brain works under these conditions, what has historically helped people like me, and especially me, right now?”

The static toolkit becomes a context-aware executive function copilot that adapts to the user’s cognitive state in real time rather than requiring the user to navigate the toolkit while already cognitively overloaded.