---
title: "Neurodiversity and the Digital Divide: how our neurological differences shape the way we experience the web"
description: "How neurological differences affect web experiences, and why distracting design elements can be self-defeating for conversions."
date: "2019-03-06T00:00:00.000Z"
canonical: "https://www.antonsten.com/articles/neurodiversity-and-the-digital-divide-how-our-neurological-differences-shape-the-way-we-experience-the-web/"
---

> Because neurodiversity can cover such a wide range of individual differences, it's not easy to specify what that translates to in terms of design standards, for example. If we got ten autistic people in a room and asked them about what makes for a good user experience, we'd probably get ten very different perspectives, just like you would if you asked ten non-autistic people.
>
> But to provide an example: if you're looking at an ecommerce site where the goal is to make a purchase, there is a lot of whizzbangery going on. There are various banners, links, and buttons moving around. We probably all get a bit irritated by it, but when someone with, say, some cognitive load issues is trying to navigate that experience they may get easily sidetracked. So if the point of a site is to encourage completing a transaction, there may be self-defeating aspects in the design, because the person ends up being too distracted to buy anything.
>
> There is a lot of potential for essential services – such as banking or grocery shopping for example – to provide easier, more accessible and inclusive experiences online.
>
> — [Neurodiversity and the Digital Divide: how our neurological differences shape the way we experience the web](https://today.design/essays/neurodiversity-and-the-digital-divide)