Alright, buckle up because we’re about to talk about something most design conversations barely touch—designing for neurodivergent people. Yep, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory processing differences—all the brains that don’t follow the “standard” wiring. And guess what? That’s a huge portion of the population. So why the heck are most designs still tailored to just one kind of mind?

Here’s the thing: design isn’t one-size-fits-all. It never was. But the industry kind of pretended it could be. When we talk about accessibility, people often jump to screen readers and color contrast—and those are super important—but we rarely talk about cognitive accessibility. Like, how do we make websites, graphics, and apps more usable for people who get overwhelmed easily? Or distracted? Or need a different kind of clarity?

What Neurodivergent-Friendly Design Even Means

Okay so first, what do we mean by “neurodivergent”? It’s a broad term that covers cognitive variations like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, and more. These brains often process information differently—some people hyperfocus, others can’t filter visual noise, and some might struggle with short-term memory or reading comprehension.

So when you create a design that’s overloaded with flashy animations, ten different fonts, 500 colors, and a maze of navigation… you're basically building a haunted house for their brain. Not cool.

Design Pitfalls to Avoid

• Too much motion: Autoplay videos, GIFs, or background animations can be super distracting.

• Overwhelming layouts: Cramming a ton of content into a small space = chaos for someone with sensory sensitivity or executive dysfunction.

• Inconsistent design patterns: If buttons look different on every page, it’s confusing and stressful.

• No visual anchors: Neurodivergent users often benefit from strong visual hierarchy and clear sectioning.

So, What Helps?

Here's where it gets exciting because neurodivergent-friendly design actually benefits everyone (yay for universal design!). Here’s how you can start designing with cognitive inclusion in mind:

1. Chunk your content: Break long blocks of text into smaller, digestible pieces. Use bullet points, headings, and short paragraphs. Basically, write like you're texting a friend.

2. Use visual cues: Icons, consistent layouts, clear CTAs—these all help people orient themselves quickly.

3. Provide customization options: Let users change font sizes, toggle animations, or switch to a “low sensory” mode.

4. Be predictable (in a good way): Keep your UI consistent across pages. This builds confidence and reduces cognitive fatigue.

5. Think color psychology: High-contrast is great for clarity, but neon pink on lime green? That’s an optical assault. Calmer palettes can help people stay focused.

6. Limit distractions: That floating CTA, blinking sidebar ad, and spinning header graphic? Choose one. Not all three.

Designing for ADHD: Real Talk

As someone who lives the ADHD life, let me tell you—clutter is the enemy. I want focus, flow, and flexibility. Great ADHD-friendly design makes the most important thing immediately obvious. It anticipates that I might forget why I opened the page in the first place, so it gently nudges me with visual breadcrumbs.

Pro-tip? Use sticky navbars and helpful microcopy. And please—don’t auto-refresh content. I was just getting into it!

Autistic-Friendly Design Cues

Many autistic users are hyper-sensitive to noise and visual chaos. Designing with simplicity and stability in mind can reduce anxiety and make things easier to process. Think calm transitions, consistent layouts, muted colors, and logical navigation.

Avoid surprise pop-ups. Seriously. Nothing says “nope” like a modal that screams in your face unexpectedly.

Typography for Neurodivergence

Did you know that certain fonts are easier to read for people with dyslexia? Fonts like OpenDyslexic, Lexend, or even just using sans-serif fonts like Arial and Verdana can make a world of difference. Also: don’t fully justify text—it creates weird gaps that break reading rhythm.

Examples of Neurodivergent-Inclusive Brands

• BBC Bitesize: Simple UI, big clear buttons, and chunked content for easy learning.

• Slack: Offers dark mode, reduced motion, and allows custom notifications.

• Notion: Tons of customization, clean design, and lets users build their own structure.

• Microsoft Inclusive Design Toolkit: An actual toolkit for designing inclusively (look it up, it’s brilliant).

The Bottom Line: Good Design = Compassion

If you want to be a next-level designer, this is it. Inclusive design isn’t about compliance—it’s about empathy. It’s about knowing that your work might help someone focus better, understand faster, or feel less overwhelmed. That’s powerful.

We’re not designing for machines. We’re designing for people. Real, squishy, emotional, distracted, beautiful-brained people. And the more we embrace that, the better our designs (and world) will be.