Iraf blueray, understands how traditional research methods tend to leave out people who identify as neurodivergent. Surveys rely on strong recall skills, which may be challenging for those with ADHD. Focus groups can misinterpret behavioral sentiment such as eye contact aversion associated with autism. And platform metrics may ignore UX accessibility pitfalls (e.g. form fields with text that disappears upon selection). Given about 10 to 20 percent of the global population is neurodivergent, that excludes many respondents. So when Smyth began design research for an employee experience (EX) project, he committed to making it inclusive. To do this, a real-time, conversational feedback tool proved extremely valuable.
“I had to meet people where they were.”
As someone whose own experience includes autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Smyth turned to Slack. He noticed how the productivity platform also supported the ways many of his neurodivergent respondents preferred to communicate. “I had to meet people where they were,” said Smyth.
A new channel sparked active conversation among employees who identified as neurodivergent. This includes those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, epilepsy, Tourette’s, and other conditions that differ from neurotypical brains. Each one has its own strengths and challenges. Employees trusted Smyth and appreciated that he adapted the feedback method for them. It even improved the quality of the research results.
Many active, threaded conversations surfaced in the members-only channel. Respondents were more willing to share their truths and even to disagree in this safe space. The way Smyth conducted the design research effectively reduced social desirability bias (the instinct to say what others want to hear). It also lowered sentiment analysis bias (misinterpreting behavior and emotions).
He credited a more accurate sentiment analysis to the shared universal language of emojis. Smyth describes Slack emoji reactions as a pulse check akin to a net promoter score (NPS), a standard key performance indicator measuring affinity. In this case, it showed the strength of the employee-employer relationship.
In the end, the channel surfaced key employee experience challenges to solve.
While he doesn’t claim to speak for the neurodivergent population, Smyth emphasizes the value of neurodivergent people designing research for all.
“When we look at user journeys and empathy maps, we’re superstars at this sort of thing,” Smyth said. “We’ve been thinking about this our whole lives, wondering what other people are thinking about.”
The Cambridge study reinforces the inclusion of neurodivergent researchers. Also consider Article 9 from the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD): we must “enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life” and “ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to… information and communications technologies and systems.”
Smyth points out that it’s the right thing to do and it’s also the compliant thing to do.
“Finding creative ways to amplify the voices of neurodivergent people in design research can make the research experience better for everyone,” said Holly Prouty, Salesforce Lead Researcher, and Research & Insights. “It can also boost the quality of research output.”
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It’s good to remember that neurodiversity presents differently in each individual, so their needs vary. Smyth admits he still has much to learn and, indeed, there is peer-reviewed research coming out almost every day for neurodiversity. As more research institutions receive funding,
We’re finally starting to fill in the gaps in the areas we don’t understand. While this knowledge grows, there’s an opportunity for researchers and UX designers to ensure design research is neurodivergent-friendly. Smyth cites the powerful slogan: “Nothing about us, without us.”
“Without integrating neuro-inclusive practices in the design research phase, you’re most likely going to design the wrong thing for the user.”