BACKGROUND

When we began working on the project, we already knew that neurodiverse individuals have different sensory needs. We also noticed various initiatives undertaken by brands and organisations in the UK, all of which address issues related to sensory needs. For example, Westfield offers sensory bags to assist shoppers with different sensory needs, Lidl provides a sensory map that guides users to more well-lit or quiet areas, TFL offers a 'PLEASE OFFER ME A SEAT' badge, and there's also the sunflower hidden disability lanyard to raise awareness about the wearer's potential condition and encourage empathy.

Upon further investigation, we realised that many of these initiatives were quite superficial. For example, the customer service desk at Westfield barely even knew that they provide sensory bags for the Neurodivergent. These sensory bags were mainly meant for children and were given on rent. 

We wanted to understand what a neurodivergent shopper really feels and go beneath surface-level observations to grasp their real needs. So we had in-depth interviews with 20+ neurodivergent individuals, interacted with 5 neurodivergent specialists in the realm of clinical psychology, 5 designers who had worked on neurodiversity projects, one shadowing exercise, and one workshop to test our assumptions and further learn from their shopping experiences.

When we began working on the project, we already knew that neurodiverse individuals have different sensory needs. We also noticed various initiatives undertaken by brands and organisations in the UK, all of which address issues related to sensory needs. For example, Westfield offers sensory bags to assist shoppers with different sensory needs, Lidl provides a sensory map that guides users to more well-lit or quiet areas, TFL offers a 'PLEASE OFFER ME A SEAT' badge, and there's also the sunflower hidden disability lanyard to raise awareness about the wearer's potential condition and encourage empathy.

Upon further investigation, we realised that many of these initiatives were quite superficial. For example, the customer service desk at Westfield barely even knew that they provide sensory bags for the Neurodivergent. These sensory bags were mainly meant for children and were given on rent. 

We wanted to understand what a neurodivergent shopper really feels and go beneath surface-level observations to grasp their real needs. So we had in-depth interviews with 20+ neurodivergent individuals, interacted with 5 neurodivergent specialists in the realm of clinical psychology, 5 designers who had worked on neurodiversity projects, one shadowing exercise, and one workshop to test our assumptions and further learn from their shopping experiences.