Designing content for a neurodiverse audience
By Ros Fordyce
Ros has nearly 30 years’ experience in content design, beginning with managing online content for the Scotland Office before moving on to lead publicity campaigns at the Department for Education and Skills. One of the first designers to join Scroll in the mid-noughties, in 2011, she joined the Government Digital Service to work on the first release of GOV.UK and later moved into digital learning as Head of Content at Skill Boosters, where she specialised in creating training content for leadership, workplace behaviour and inclusion.
Why neurodiversity matters to content designers
Just as there is biological diversity in nature, human thinking is varied through neurodiversity. As content designers, if we don’t design for that difference, we risk leaving behind a sizeable portion of our audience.
Research published by the British Medical Bulletin (opens new tab) estimates that between 15-20% of the population is what’s known as ‘neurodivergent’ - that is, their brain processes information, communication and experiences in a different way to the majority, or neurotypical, population. These thinking differences include well-known conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, but there are many others that can affect things like our attention, perception, working memory and sensory processing.
As someone with several neurodivergent family members, seeing first-hand the challenges they face in a world designed for neurotypical thinkers has made me keenly aware of the importance of creating content that works for a wide range of thinking styles and communication needs.
Here are seven approaches that I’ve found particularly helpful. These aren't rules for designing for ‘neurodivergent users’ - neurodivergent people aren't a single group with a single set of needs. What works for one person may not work for another. Rather, these are approaches that can remove barriers for some people - and often make content easier for everyone to use.
1. Have a strong visual hierarchy
Neurodivergent people can have different ways of processing information. Large blocks of information or multiple ideas presented at once can be overwhelming for some people, including some people with ADHD or autism.
Having a strong visual hierarchy helps people to get to the main points quickly and enables them to scan or dive deeper depending on their needs. Summary sections, clear headings and expandable content can all help keep the main message clear and accessible without overwhelming those who only need the basics. Breaking complex topics down into smaller, more manageable sections helps to reduce the overall cognitive load.
2. Avoid sensory overload
We all know that using a mix of media can make content more engaging, but too much sensory input can quickly become distracting or overwhelming for people with certain neuro-differences. Features such as autoplay videos, animations, pop-ups and moving banners can make it harder to focus, while loud music or intrusive sound or visual effects can cause people to become overwhelmed or overstimulated.
Keeping multimedia simple and giving users control over how they engage with it, for example through playback controls that allow them to pause, rewind and rewatch, makes it easier for them to engage and process information at their own pace.
3. Write literally
Some neurodivergent people can find idioms and metaphors tricky to interpret, so it’s a good idea to avoid too much figurative language (even if you feel it adds a bit of colour). Go for something literal instead, for example:
Think outside the box → Try a new approach
Get your ducks in a row → Get organised before you start
Move the dial → Have an impact
Like a well-oiled machine → Smoothly and efficiently
4. Use accessible fonts, colours and backgrounds
Visual design has a huge impact on readability and concentration, and the key here is simply to reduce unnecessary visual ‘noise’. This doesn’t have to come at the expense of design, but we should always consider when design elements like multiple fonts, looping graphics or patterned backgrounds can become intrusive. As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to:
use single-colour backgrounds
ensure you have sufficient contrast between text and background
avoid italics and underlining
use sans serif fonts
have plenty of ‘white space’
5. Make your content easy to navigate
Some neurodivergent people find familiar patterns and consistent structures helpful for reducing cognitive effort.
Content design can support this by creating experiences that feel consistent, predictable and easy to navigate, meaning that users can focus on the content itself rather than the interface.
It can be helpful to:
keep menus in the same place
make any buttons and links descriptive
have colour-coding for different sections or topics
use visual cues such as icons and images
6. Reduce decision fatigue
For some people with ADHD, autism or differences in executive functioning, lots of choice can make decision-making harder.
If your content includes multiple calls to action, prioritise the most important ones and reduce competing prompts where you can.
If you’re explaining processes or decisions, break them down into clear, manageable steps and guide users through them one stage at a time. Visual aids such as flowcharts or step-by-step layouts can also help make information feel more structured, predictable and easier to follow.
7. Create opportunities for exploration
Giving people the chance to do a deep dive and find out extra facts and details can make your content more engaging for a neurodivergent audience, provided it’s done in a structured way that doesn’t distract from the main content.
Consider including things like:
structured pathways into different levels of detail
signposted sub-topics
clear links to related content and recommended reading.
We can’t design for every individual neuro-difference, but what we can do is remove recognised barriers and give people more control over how they access, process and engage with our content. Better still, designing with neurodiversity in mind doesn’t just benefit our neurodivergent audience. Clearer structure, reduced cognitive load and more thoughtful design will create a better experience for everyone.
Thinking about making your content more accessible and inclusive? Scroll can help. Get in touch.