Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2024

Neurodiversity in the creative economy is prevalent; the 2019 Creative Differences report produced by Universal Music gathered data from employers in the creative industries and highlighted how neurodivergent traits often are conducive to creative outcomes, for example, individuals with ADHD outperform others when thinking creatively and how some autistic traits may lead an individual to generate truly novel ideas. Similarly, a 2023 Birkbeck study of 127 employers and 990 neurodivergent employees found that hyperfocus, creativity and innovative thinking were the top 3 strengths reported by neurodivergent employees. All of which demonstrates why neurodivergent individuals may gravitate to creative careers, and Claremont is no exception to this trend!

To give you a peak behind the scenes, we interviewed one of our brilliant interior designers about their experience with neurodiversity; their journey to diagnoses of ADHD and dyslexia, how their neurodivergence impacts them at work, and how their experience and knowledge of neurodiversity is reflected in their work.

Tell me a bit about your general experience with Neurodiversity.

“I first consciously started to notice signs of my ADHD and dyslexia when I started high school – but to be honest, I didn’t really know anything about Neurodiversity at the time, so I never put two and two together. Some of these signs included slower processing speed, struggles with reading and writing tasks, struggles with memory and information recall, procrastination, decision paralysis, perfectionism, inability to rest or fall asleep, regularly feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated, experiencing mood-swings, and generally feeling quite anxious. In high school I was diagnosed with dyslexia, however throughout the remainder of my education, my other symptoms were put down to mental health. This made sense when considering the symptoms in isolation, but when I started to research more into Neurodiversity, and specifically ADHD and dyslexia, I realised that these symptoms were due to undiagnosed neurodivergence!”

“Since then, I’ve been on journey of self-learning and acceptance. Despite already knowing that I had ADHD through my own research, getting a diagnosis was life-changing! It was a relief to know that there was a reason for why I experience the world slightly differently and I find it easier to work through the symptoms. As I continue to gain a deeper understanding of ADHD, I have spent some time mourning my past self. It’s a realisation that none of the perceived “flaws” were my fault. This journey, known as the ADHD grieving process, involves a profound shift in the way that you see yourself and the world. It encompasses a range of emotions, including sadness and anger for my non-diagnosed self, but also hope for what my future holds. Most importantly, this process requires a significant amount of self-forgiveness as I come to terms with my diagnosis and learn to navigate the world with a new understanding of myself. An earlier ADHD diagnosis would have changed the trajectory of this – but the more awareness I and others have around neurodiversity, the more empathy and understanding there is towards the associated symptoms.”

How do you feel Neurodiversity has shaped your working experience?

“I was actually diagnosed whilst working for Claremont, and since then, I have really felt a change in the way I understand myself, why I feel the way I feel, how to overcome this, and how others may be able to support me. When I think about how it’s shaped my working experience, it’s mostly been subconscious and just ways of interacting with work that suit me. My high-energy, enthusiasm and personable nature lend well to my career as an interior designer as I communicate and build great relationships with clients, suppliers and members of the wider company. I am naturally inquisitive, often asking numerous questions to gain a deep understanding of processes and products, allowing me to make well-informed decisions. Now I think about it, here are a few other areas that neurodiversity has shaped my working experience:

• Hybrid working has been amazing as, through trial and error, I’ve come to realise there are some work tasks and activities that are more suited to working from the office, and on the other hand, there are other tasks and activities that are absolutely suited to working from home – and if there’s a miss-match of task and environment, I find it more challenging to get it done. For example, I can really hyperfocus at home, and carrying out process tasks such as modelling is perfect for getting into this zone, so I will work from home when I know I have to get this done. On the other hand, anything that involves creativity, collaboration and more conscious thought, I work much better in the office, particularly where I can have face to face conversations with my colleagues.
• Verbal communication over written communication is my preference – I’ll remember the conversation in much more detail than I would reading an email. When it comes to taking a brief or getting instructions on a project, the golden solution is really to talk through this first, and then be sent a follow-up in writing – this is quite common for people with ADHD and/or dyslexia.
• My memory also works in different ways – I can retain details about product lines and supplier information, which can be a real benefit to the team when we’re all working together and they’re looking for some specific information.
• Rejection Sensitivity Disorder is common alongside ADHD, meaning I thrive from positive feedback and appreciation, and criticism can be very painful… but only because I care so deeply! My experience with this at work means that I’ll often work really long hours to get something exactly right (those high standards of myself coming up again!) before presenting it to anybody because I find that working those hours is a more attractive outcome than feeling the rejection from a negative reaction. With this in mind, I typically gravitate to working on accounts and building relationships with clients so I can truly understand their expectations and preferences, giving me more confidence that what I deliver will be right for them.”

How do you reflect your own experiences and knowledge of Neurodiversity into your designs?

“I think the way I reflect my own experiences into my designs is on a subconscious level – I can understand how people may interact with a space slightly differently, and that shows in my work. A few things I can think of include:

• Avoiding workstations with their back to circulation routes
• Variety of collaboration settings to suit different preferences and requirements
• Focus rooms and phone pods to provide a sense of privacy and a bit of a sensory sanctuary
• Soften angles on furniture to reduce too much formality, particularly in meeting rooms
  • It’s not just how it looks, it’s how it feels – and sharper angles will feel more harsh and formal, whereas softer and more organic shapes will feel more comfortable
• Lining up different settings in the design to promote seamless, intuitive and fluid movement around the space for the user
• Create a space that reduces stress as much as possible – thinking of colour, shapes, layout, noise, visual distractions etc.

For me, a user experience that offers choice, variety, and comfort (both mental and physical!) are some key areas to create a neuro-inclusive workplace design.”

As with the experience of my colleague, there are often higher instances of comorbidity with delayed diagnosed neurodivergence and mental health difficulties (Frontiers in Psychiatry, Autism Journal, The ADHD Centre). With more adult diagnoses of neurodivergent conditions occurring once people have entered the workforce, it’s important to be mindful of this and to be empathetic towards the complexities that may come with colleagues who identify with a neurodivergent condition, have been diagnosed in adulthood, or are seeking diagnosis.

This conversation also demonstrates how important it is for us to open the dialogue with our Neurodivergent colleagues. No two peoples’ experiences are the same, and whilst there are principles in which we can design workplaces to be neuro-inclusive, it’s important to get the input from your diversity networks to understand if there are ways in which we can further tailor the workplace design to suit everybody’s needs. And even then, the work doesn’t stop there; employers must empower their colleagues to utilise the environment around them to maximise their workplace experience, providing them with the support and resources they may need to make these informed choices.