Tellmi
‘A’ by Tellmi, turning waiting lists into support networks
This has been a dream project. Working with Mima we have achieved more than I thought possible. Their systematic approach to human centred design has helped us uncover the desperate need for mental health support for young people who are waiting for a diagnosis of autism. The needs and opinions of both autistic young people and NHS commissioners have underpinned every decision. We can't wait for the opportunity to take this work to the next stage and pilot it in an NHS setting.
Mima partnered with Tellmi to extend their existing digital peer and counsellor support platform that provides accessible early help to all children and young people aged 11 and above. Tellmi noticed that they had a high percentage of existing autistic users, and saw the way their platform, as an anonymous and pre-moderated safe digital space, supported those who struggle with social anxiety and in-person interactions. Tellmi wanted to extend their existing mental health support services to include solutions specifically designed for autistic young people, and was funded by Innovate UK to develop the concept.
Together, Mima and Tellmi conducted research to identify where their service could make a difference for both young people and NHS trusts. Our research revealed that providing support during the diagnostic waiting period represents a crucial intervention opportunity, not only to help young people manage their wellbeing during this challenging time but also to assist NHS Trusts in mitigating risks and reducing costs associated with extended waiting periods. This need is particularly significant in the UK, where 118,000 young people are currently on autism diagnosis waiting lists, with some unfortunately facing delays of up to four years. According to research from ACE (2024), deaths by suicide for children and young people who are waiting for an autism diagnosis are 21% higher than for those with an autism diagnosis. Undiagnosed young people with autistic traits often experience more significant mental health challenges than their diagnosed peers, emphasising the importance of waiting list support.
Throughout the project, Mima helped Tellmi structure their approach to gathering insights, developing their business case, identifying key features, and testing prototypes with potential buyers. Meanwhile, Tellmi led a parallel co-creation process with autistic young people, ensuring the service authentically reflected their experiences and met their requirements.
Our Task
As Tellmi’s design partner on this Innovate UK-funded Design Foundations initiative aimed at helping small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt human-centred design practices, we provided strategic structure and guidance throughout the project. Our role was to embed design thinking into every phase, ensuring that both end users and potential buyers remained central to all decision-making and product development.
While Tellmi led the co-design process with autistic children and young people to identify key platform features, resource needs, and support requirements, Mima focused on understanding NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). We investigated buyer motivations and how the platform could effectively integrate into existing healthcare systems.
Our methodology combined desk research, insights from Tellmi's focus groups with autistic young people, and nine in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals and commissioners. This allowed us to create a comprehensive journey map of the current diagnostic pathway, highlighting critical pain points and opportunities for support. We identified key needs: safe spaces where autistic young people could "unmask," opportunities for autonomy and identity exploration, and communication approaches tailored to autistic preferences that current services don't adequately provide.
To validate our concept, Mima developed a landing page showcasing key features, outreach strategies, and pricing options. This tool helped us gather additional feedback from potential buyers about the service's desirability and necessary adaptations for successful NHS implementation.
Our Solution
Together, we developed 'A' by Tellmi—a dedicated digital platform providing peer and counsellor support for those awaiting autism diagnosis with innovative interactive safety plans, text-based Tellmi Therapy using a Solution Focused Therapy approach, and a directory of national and local autism-related resources and services. For the NHS, the platform delivers valuable data insights on discussion topics, helping services understand mental health needs and trends, while providing alerts and reporting on crisis support required in specific areas.
For Tellmi, our partnership helped them recognise and enhance their existing user-centered design practices while adopting new design tools and frameworks for their process. Within a remarkably short timeframe, Tellmi successfully evolved from initial concept and consolidated research to a tested product concept with all materials needed to advance to the next development phase.
The Impact
‘A’ by Tellmi represents a fundamental shift in how we support children and young people awaiting autism assessment. It transforms the waiting list experience into a meaningful, supportive community. Mima's crucial contribution was creating an evidence-based narrative for the platform, bringing an objective external perspective that bridges the gap between user needs and the platform's positioning within NHS ecosystems to build a compelling business case.
By visualising complex systems, Mima helped develop targeted value exchanges that address healthcare priorities and constraints. The structured approach, combined with recommendations for future development, provides 'A' by Tellmi with a blueprint for continued platform enhancement. Most importantly, the platform offers hope, by acknowledging children and young people’s experiences on waiting lists and providing a supportive community along with practical resources. As one commissioner noted, there's ‘a massive gap in support services that this can fill’ - highlighting the platform's potential to address a critical unmet need in autism support services.
Join the Tellmi webinar, ‘Nothing about us, without us,’ on June 12th 2025 at 12 pm BST to discover more about ‘A’ by Tellmi. Learn how Tellmi collaborated with Mima and other partners, utilising human-centered design. Sign up for the webinar here.
Have a project that could benefit from user experience and design research? Get in touch today to see how we can help.
Other Case Studies
-
Collaboratively designing operational workflows & a command centre for a government agency
The Government Property Agency, Iceland
-
Guiding visitors through museum spaces with behavioural research and wayfinding
Victoria & Albert Museum
-
Ensuring social accessibility is part of a world welcome
Dubai Expo 2020