Neurodiversity: designing for real people, not the average
We missed Neurodiversity Celebration Week. But if I’m honest, this isn’t something that should live in a single week. Because neurodiversity isn’t niche. It isn’t “other people”. And it definitely isn’t rare.
In the UK, around 15–20% of people are neurodivergent. That’s roughly one in seven of your audience, your team, your clients. And I’m one of them. I have ADHD. It’s something that has shaped how I think, how I work, and how I experience the world. And over the years, it’s made me realise something pretty simple. We’ve designed a lot of environments, especially in business and events, around one way of thinking. And it doesn’t work for everyone.
What changed for me
During the pandemic, like a lot of people, I had time to think. But more than that, I spent a lot of time observing. People. Behaviour. Attention. What holds it, what loses it, and what actually makes things land. It wasn’t just about events. It was about how people experience the world around them. And the more I paid attention, the more obvious it became. People don’t all process things in the same way. They don’t all learn the same way. And they definitely don’t all thrive in the same environments. Yet we design as if they do.
A very real example
Last week, we won an award. A huge moment for us, and one I’m incredibly proud of. But if I’m honest, parts of the night were also overstimulating. The noise, the lights, the pace, the number of conversations happening at once. It was a lot. And that’s not a complaint, it’s just reality. It’s human behaviour. You can feel proud, excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. That’s the nuance we often miss when we design experiences.
Different brains, different ways of engaging
One of the biggest gaps I see, especially in live events, is the assumption that everyone absorbs information in the same way. They don’t. Some people need to see it. Some need to hear it. Some need to do it. Some need time to process it afterwards. For me, if I’m sat listening for too long without interaction, my attention goes. Not because I’m not interested, but because my brain works differently. That’s why multi-sensory design works. When people can see it, experience it and activate it, more people stay with you. It’s not just more engaging. It’s more inclusive.
The impact of overstimulation
What we often design as high energy can quickly tip into overwhelm. Constant noise, bright lighting, crowded rooms and back-to-back content without pause can be difficult to process, even for people who thrive in these environments most of the time.
And here’s the important bit. People rarely tell you. They don’t complain. They just switch off, step out, or disengage completely.
Designing more human experiences
The shift isn’t about doing less. It’s about designing better. In the workplace, that might mean clearer communication, more flexibility, and less reliance on ambiguity or reading between the lines. In events, it comes down to balance. Mixing formats, building in natural pauses, simplifying journeys and being more aware of how environments actually feel, not just how they look.
Breaking the pattern: creating moments of reset
One of the simplest and most effective things we can do is break the pattern. Not every moment needs to be high energy. Not every space needs to demand attention. Sometimes people just need a moment.
At a recent event, we introduced a puppy play area. On paper, it sounds like a nice addition. In reality, it became one of the most impactful spaces we created. It gave people a moment of calm in an otherwise high stimulation environment. A chance to pause, reset and step away from the noise. For some, it was a highlight. For others, it was what allowed them to stay and re-engage with the rest of the event.
And that’s the point. These moments aren’t distractions, they enable the experience.
Designing for real people
Not every event needs puppies. But every event should consider variety in energy and engagement. Because this isn’t about designing for a specific group of people. It’s about designing for how people actually are. Complex. Different. Human.
This isn’t just about doing the right thing. It’s about performance. When people feel comfortable, they engage. When they engage, they remember. When they remember, they act. That’s ROI.
The Made Human Approach
There is no such thing as an average audience member. There never was. I’ve felt both ends of it. The energy, the excitement, and the overwhelm, sometimes all in the same moment. And that’s why this matters. Designing with neurodiversity in mind isn’t about creating special experiences for a few people. It’s about creating better, more human experiences for everyone. And that’s where the real impact lives.
If you’re rethinking how your events engage modern audiences, we’d love to help you design experiences where ROI meets EQ. Contact emma@madehuman.com.
