FocusUp: A Browser Extension for Enhancing Online Attention and Productivity for ADHD Individuals
Wajdi Aljedaani, Weston Leonard, Hector Ruiz, Adrian Wegener · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A) · doi:10.1145/3744257.3744278
Summary
This technical note presents FocusUp, a Chrome browser extension designed to help individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) maintain focus and improve productivity while browsing the web. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that affects executive function, making it difficult to start and complete tasks, manage distractions, and sustain engagement with digital content. While existing productivity tools offer features like time management (Pomodoro timers) and distraction blocking, they impose rigid constraints that fail to address the individualized and variable needs of ADHD users. FocusUp was developed with first-hand ADHD insights from the development team and integrates two key features: a structured task management system that links tasks to specific websites (so only relevant tasks appear when visiting a particular web page, reducing cognitive load), and a real-time reading progress tracker that visualizes actual reading progress rather than just elapsed time, helping users stay engaged and motivated. The extension was assessed through pilot studies with twelve users who have ADHD, examining the utility of the system's interactions. Participants found the tool helpful for maintaining focus and improving task management while browsing.
Key findings
Participants in the pilot study shared positive experiences with FocusUp, reporting that the tool was effective in reducing distractions and enhancing productivity. The website-linked task list was appreciated for reducing the cognitive load of managing multiple tasks — by showing only tasks relevant to the current website, users avoided the overwhelming feeling of seeing all tasks at once. The reading progress tracking feature, which measures actual reading progress rather than just time elapsed, helped users stay motivated to complete reading tasks. The tool's flexible, user-driven approach was preferred over rigid productivity tools that enforce strict time blocks or content blocking. Participants also provided suggestions for further improvements, though specific quantitative results are not reported in this short two-page technical note. The authors note that FocusUp is one of the first browser extensions explicitly designed by people with ADHD to address multiple facets of online productivity and focus through an integrated set of assistive tools.
Relevance
This paper contributes to the growing recognition that cognitive accessibility — supporting people with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental conditions — is an important dimension of digital accessibility. While much accessibility research focuses on sensory and motor disabilities, ADHD affects an estimated 5-7% of children and 2-5% of adults worldwide, and its impact on digital interaction is significant. FocusUp's approach of linking tasks to specific web locations is a practical design pattern that could be adopted more broadly in productivity and accessibility tools. The emphasis on measuring actual reading progress rather than time elapsed reflects an understanding that ADHD users may read at variable speeds and need engagement-based rather than time-based motivation. The tool's development by people with first-hand ADHD experience exemplifies the "nothing about us without us" principle in accessibility design. However, the paper is very brief (2 pages) and lacks detailed evaluation data, making it difficult to assess the tool's effectiveness rigorously.
Tags: ADHD · cognitive accessibility · browser extension · task management · executive function · productivity · attention