Web Design For Neurodiversity
When considering web design, most people think of accessibility for blind or D/deaf individuals; however, autistic people, learning disabilities and ADHD patients can all take advantage of an accessible website.
Setting rotating photos or content slides to pause mode can assist those who prefer viewing things at their own pace. Utilizing dyslexia-friendly fonts and eliminating excessive visual indicators may also prove helpful.
Colors
Over a decade ago, autistic individuals coined the term ‘neurodiversity’ to redefine their identity and move away from negative colloquialisms. Through this movement, they wanted to be recognized for having different brain wirings while challenging assumptions that everyone must fit into one neurocognitive style of functioning.
As a result, more businesses are taking measures to accommodate neurodiverse users in the workplace, including acknowledging how sensory input can have an effect on employee performance and wellbeing. For instance, people may have visual or auditory sensitivities which make certain fonts, colors and patterns distracting or overwhelming – in such instances it would be best for companies to provide access options that reduce cognitive stress.
As this can be a challenging area to navigate, there are a few straightforward approaches you can take to making websites more accessible to neurodiverse users. Flashing images or background music could easily distract them and so incorporating accessibility features that reduce visual distraction can be useful, such as eliminating animations or adding a pause button for content slides.
Some individuals are hypersensitive to color, becoming easily overwhelmed by bright or highly saturated hues that may lead to fatigue and decreased ability to concentrate, making muted or neutral tones ideal. Furthermore, websites should include visual indicators to guide users through their website experience such as icons next to labels and headers that provide clear indication of what can be expected on each page.
Offer a coloured user interface mode as this can help those with visual disabilities. Achieve this can reduce visual stress for those suffering from colour blindness, glaucoma, low vision or other visual disorders that prevent information processing visually – offering this as an option on all websites can ensure as many users benefit as possible from its inclusion.
Texture
Neurodiversity refers to conditions like ADHD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder that differ in brain wiring but do not necessarily result in impairment. Neurodiversity provides an alternative perspective on disability that acknowledges this reality.
De-medicalization of differences in human functionality has become more mainstream over time, and has become more accepted and mainstream by companies that strive to create inclusive workplaces, providing accommodations such as quiet spaces and regular sensory breaks for their employees.
Design can make an enormous impactful on neurodivergent users when it comes to accessibility of websites. It is essential to remember this includes both visual elements as well as how information is structured or organised within the site – too much data could make the website hard for neurodivergent users to navigate effectively.
Texture should also be considered when designing web pages for people with ASD, who can often be hypersensitive to visual stimuli. As such, they might prefer simpler layouts or backgrounds which are textured rather than plain in order to remain focused on your web page without becoming distracted by images and texts surrounding them.
Textured background colors can help add contrast and structure to your website, providing clarity for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder who might find it hard to differentiate certain shapes, as well as improve clarity of content delivery.
People living with dyslexia or similar conditions can also gain from using fonts tailored specifically to meet their needs. For example, dyslexic readers often struggle to decipher letters with too tall or short ascenders/descenders (ascenders/descenders). To overcome this difficulty, using Comic Sans or Dyslexie fonts with unique letter forms for ascenders/descenders will help decipher these shapes more quickly; or mono-spacing the font will work better.
Website designers must consider how long it will take a person with cognitive disability to complete an action; for example, making a purchase might consume more of their daily spoons than it would for someone without neurodivergence and disability. A design that reduces this impact will benefit all users, particularly those living with neurodivergence or disability.
Contrast
Although the Internet has made considerable strides toward digital accessibility, neurodivergent individuals still face obstacles when browsing websites and other digital assets. Therefore, those responsible for creating them must understand the needs of this unique audience to provide a positive browsing experience.
People who identify as neurodivergent may struggle with various symptoms and conditions, including difficulty staying focused or staying on task, sensory overload and difficulties reading comprehension and math skills. Therefore, they often require more space between words, higher contrast in colors and fonts and simplified interface designs – modifications that can be implemented quickly on websites or digital assets for them to benefit greatly from.
Designing for neurodivergent users also involves considering their timeframe of completion of tasks. Some individuals only have limited amount of spoons available each day, and even simple tasks may consume a greater percentage than usual. Thus it is vitally important that each page has an clearly-stated goal and purpose as well as sufficient spacing between sections of content.
Fonts on websites must also be easily legible and legible for all audiences. Serif fonts with tails or ticks on each stroke may obscure letter shapes; sans-serif fonts such as Arial are better suited for neurodivergent audiences and must ensure kerning between letters is at least 35% larger than letter width for dyslexic readers to increase readability.
Kalina Tyrkiel details in her article “Web Design for Neurodiversity: Creating an Inclusive Web” some steps being taken to accommodate users with neurodivergent needs online. Web designers can have an enormous effect by choosing legible fonts, creating neutral color palettes, eliminating pop-ups or unnecessary animations and using concise wording with tone indicators in their communication of meaning.
Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy principles are an essential element of designing for neurodiverse audiences. This basic design principle ranks the importance of various elements on a page to make it easier for viewers to comprehend their meaning and take appropriate action on them. If there are multiple images on your homepage, the most essential should appear first on screen; you could also utilize various font sizes and colors when writing text for creating this visual hierarchy effect.
Visual hierarchy not only emphasizes the key information on your website, but it can also help organize it into clear sections for visitors who use screen readers – making finding what they need quick and easy! This can be accomplished using headers and subheadings or grouping similar elements together using whitespace.
Visual hierarchies are particularly essential when it comes to data visualization projects, since they help make large amounts of information more manageable for users. As data visualization can often be overwhelming for some viewers, adhering to visual hierarchy principles ensures that information presented is easily understandable and manageable for everyone involved in a data project.
One key component of creating an effective visual hierarchy is making sure it’s balanced and proportional. You should avoid overusing fonts or colors, which could create visual overload. Furthermore, using one style across all elements ensures they fit together cohesively for a better look and feel of your website design.
Keep your designs as minimal as possible to maximize accessibility for neurodivergent viewers, who might otherwise find too much clutter distracting and difficult to comprehend.
If you need more tips to optimize your website for neurodiversity, be sure to read up on Visme’s guide on visual hierarchy – including some best practices and examples.