A crowded Berlin square with loud construction, strong smells, and sudden tourists rapidly drains neurodivergent individuals through brutal sensory overload. A child becomes immobilized by floor-to-ceiling LED banners flickering in rapid succession. Product designers often add motion to grab attention, unintentionally creating ambushes for sensitive users. Everyday B2C digital interactions with excessive motion, bright visuals, unpredictable navigation, and infinite scrolling can escalate simple tasks into overwhelming endurance tests. Design choices that prioritize attention-grabbing motion without accessibility safeguards can harm neurodivergent users and their caregivers. Inclusive, sensory-aware design and restraint in motion use reduce risk of distress.
My nine-year-old son and I are walking through the crowd on Berlin's noisiest square. The loud sounds of ongoing construction, sickening smells, and sudden floods of tourists jumping out of nowhere keep both of us tense and on high alert. Every time we're here, the brutal sensory overload drains our neurodivergent minds within seconds. In such situations, I recall Max Lucado's that the good father gives the child one responsibility: 'Hold on to my hand.'" Envato AI image.
Yet my son stops, rooted to the spot, hands clamped over his eyes. I turn around and see why. Four floor-to-ceiling LED banners around us are flickering in rapid fire. I'm a product designer, I thought, And quite often I insist adding motion just like this for another amusement and the attention-grabbing effect. Never imagining it could ambush someone I love.
Collection
[
|
...
]