🧑🎨 Designing for Neurodiversity
🧑🎨 Designing for Neurodiversity
A newsletter about design and creativity, and how they contribute to a better world.
Welcome to Edition #34 of HUMAN. For you today, we’ve got:
How we implement sustainability measures in our workspace.
Designing for neurodiversity.
Inspiring links from around the web.
The new identity of 7up is great.
Enjoy!
In response to questions we received after publishing our report on sustainable digital design, we've written an article sharing our top tips for implementing sustainability measures in our workspace. We're happy to provide some steps that companies and creative agencies can take to reduce their day-to-day emissions as individuals when working from home, outside of the digital world.
Like many companies in the post-pandemic world, our team at Wonderland works through a hybrid office model. Our employees have the freedom to use the office and work from home as they please. While the most obvious benefit for the environment when working from home is the nullification of commuting emissions, as a business with an office and employees based in the Netherlands, 92% of our employees (equivalent to all but 1) travel to the office via bike or foot, so we're already quite sustainable in that regard. If you're a company like ours and looking for some easy-to-challenging steps to become more conscious when working from home, check out the list in article on the link below.
The list includes tips such as conserving energy, buying locally sourced products, reducing paper usage, minimizing transportation, recycling, carbon offsetting, volunteering, walking meetings, and conscious eating. By following these tips, we can all reduce our carbon footprint, save energy, and conserve resources while working from home. Remember, small changes can make a big difference, and we all have a role to play in creating a more sustainable future.
Designing for Neurodiversity: Celebrating Human Variation Through Accessible Design
Neurodiversity is a concept that's gaining popularity in the design world. It recognises that there's a natural variation in the human brain, and that this diversity should be celebrated. As designers, we have a responsibility to create products and experiences that are inclusive for individuals with diverse neurological profiles. This is where a neurodiversity design system comes in.
A neurodiversity design system is a set of design principles, guidelines, and tools that are specifically tailored to support Neurodivergent individuals. One of the key principles of a neurodiversity design system is accessibility. This means that we should design products and experiences that are easy to use for individuals with various cognitive and sensory abilities.
In order to create designs that are accessible to everyone, we need to use clear and simple language, minimise visual clutter and provide multiple ways to navigate a product or experience. For example, if we're designing a website, we can use color contrast checkers and font readability tools to ensure that our website is accessible to individuals with dyslexia or visual impairments. And if we're designing a product, we might incorporate tactile or auditory cues to make it more accessible to individuals with sensory processing differences.
By incorporating neurodiversity design principles into our design processes, we can create more inclusive and accessible products, services, and environments that accommodate a wider range of human needs and experiences.
The resources provided by a system that is focused on neurodiversity can help us gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals, such as sensory overload, difficulties with communication, social interaction, learning and information processing. With this knowledge, we can develop design solutions that are more inclusive and considerate of these needs.
In my opinion, neurodiversity is an important aspect of the diversity and inclusion aspect and one that's often overlooked while designing. By using a neurodiversity design system in your daily design work , we can create products and services that are more welcoming and accessible to a wider range of people.
One resource that I find use full is this one. This website provides a range of useful tools, including color contrast checkers, font readability tools, and guides on designing for individuals with specific neurological profiles such as dyslexia and ADHD. The site also includes case studies and articles with insights from experts in the field. Worth a read!
When you are designing your next product website or app, try to incorporate elements of neurodiversity into your design process. This will not only make your products more accessible and inclusive, but it can also lead to better overall designs, resulting in a positive user experience for everyone.
Written by Martijn van der Does
Use this AI tool to create recipes with what's left in your fridge.
Testing out runwayml GEN-1.
Learn something new about accessibility with short and solid posts.
AI for interface design. This is getting wild.
Create a colour palette from a prompt.
An open-source LLM based research assistant that allows you to have a conversation with a research paper.
Use AI to generate avatar animations.
Abel and Cole introduces eco-labels for fruit and vegetables that details supply chain impacts
To reduce food waste, these two supermarkets have come up with some nice initiatives.
McDonald's Strikes Solar Deal to Power US Supply Chain.
Love & Nudes develops life-like breast cancer screening bras.
Barack Obama: How I Approach the Toughest Decisions.
The new identity of 7up aims to capture the brand essence better and reflects the growing trend in flattening and simplifying brands' graphical styles. What do you think? We like it!
If you're enjoying HUMAN, feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues. We’re always happy to welcome new readers! If we’ve left you wanting more Wonderland, be sure to check out our latest work, follow us on Instagram, or have a read through the previous editions of HUMAN. Thanks the WONDERLAND Team.
