ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder) is one of the most common neurodevelopment disorders. The symptoms include frequent daydreaming, taking unnecessary risks, having a hard time resisting temptation, forgetting things a lot... It is sometimes diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. We estimate that more than 366 millions of people worldwide have ADHD.
But, it's not that hard to improve the experience of people with ADHD online. We need to be willing to design our interfaces with neurodiversity in mind. This is why I was happy to work with Inflow on their rebrand and to build their new site, specifically for people with ADHD.
Inflow is an app that helps individuals with ADHD understand how their brain works and provides practical techniques to overcome their unique challenges. It was created by a team of clinicians who specialise in ADHD and is based on scientific research and expertise.
Inflow asked me to recreate their visual identity to resonate with a neurodivergent audience. Neurodiversity includes ADHD of course, but also learning disorders search as dyslexia, high intelligence and autism. For these conditions, the same best practices of inclusive design usually help. I had the opportunity to build Inflow's new site in collaboration with the clinical team. And by combining their ADHD expertise with my accessible design skills, we got an easy-to-navigate site that makes a positive impact on individuals with ADHD.
When designing for a neurodivergent audience, it's important to find the right balance between text and images. And if you're not neuroatypical but it still resonates with you, that's perfectly normal. We sometimes forget that inclusive and accessible design benefits everyone. A study conducted by the Association for Psychological Science found that the balance between text and images helps create a structure that many neurodivergent people need to get their bearings. You can also improve this structure by using lists with a different icon on each line which is easier to navigate than bullet points.
If you're a designer, you know the importance of colour to process information. It's even more impactful for neuroatypical individuals. When choosing colours, Neurodivergent individuals often prefer softer shades like pastels, greens, and blues. These soft shades have a calming effect that reduces sensory overload, a common issue for neuroatypical individuals.
Choosing the right imagery is another important aspect of inclusive design for a neuroatypical audience. Too many images, for example, can confuse your readers. As explained by a researcher from the University of Central Lancashire, the main point is to create a calm environment to prevent overwhelming the reader. For the same reason, it's best to avoid placing text directly over an image. This is something you often find in other accessibility considerations, as well as SEO.
A website that promotes an app usually tries for one thing only: to get people to download the app. But Inflow didn't choose to do that. We wanted to grab people's attention with the benefits they can gain: handling sensory overload, avoiding procrastination, getting more done, etc. So we added a quiz on the homepage to grab this audience in a more effective way.
The remaining content on the site serves two purposes: driving traffic through SEO and reinforcing the brand's credibility. That's why I spent a lot of time on the blog's template so that it would easy and pleasant to read. Although the site may not be extensive in size, it effectively fulfils its objectives, by prioritising the inclusion of ADHDers in all aspects.
“I had the pleasure of working with Tamara when she re-designed our website. She managed to create an awesome design in a really short space of time. Thank you.”
Neon support and train campaigners and activists working across social movements. For this project, I worked with a team of freelancers to design a recognisable brand and build an accessible website for Neon.