Sensory Processing

“Our bodies and brains use specialized systems to register all the different sensory information in our environment and piece it together to build a complete picture of: what is going on around us, with our bodies, within our bodies, where we are, and what time of day it is. Sensory processing shapes our experiences in the world and impacts our feelings.”

— STAR Institute

Because of my ADHD, I have a lot of sensory processing issues, and these definitely impact my design. I will never use flashing lights in my work because, not only do they bother me, but I know they can be downright dangerous for others. When I do end up using sound in my work, which is rare because so little of my work is digital, I am careful to make sure that the sound isn’t too loud or something that makes me physically uncomfortable. When something causes me discomfort, I automatically hyperfocus on it, which makes me even more uncomfortable. I want to make sure that my work does not cause that for anyone else.