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Designing for the Invisible

Designing for the Invisible

Neuroinclusive & Sensory-Friendly Design Guide

Neuroinclusive design recognises that people experience and process the built environment differently. Light, sound, movement, colour, smell, temperature, spatial complexity and unpredictability can affect comfort, concentration, orientation and participation.

The aim is not to create a completely low-stimulation environment, but to provide clarity, choice, predictability, control and opportunities for recovery.

Neuroinclusive & Sensory-Friendly Design Guide

1. Spatial Planning

Clear & Logical Layout

Spaces should be easy to understand and navigate without placing unnecessary cognitive demand on users.

Important Points to Consider
  • Keep circulation routes simple and intuitive.
  • Minimise unnecessary turns and decision points.
  • Group related functions together.
  • Make major destinations visible where possible.
  • Clearly distinguish public, private and restricted areas.
  • Avoid confusing or repetitive layouts.
  • Provide logical transitions between different functions.
  • Allow users to identify how to exit a space easily.

2. Sensory Zoning

Managing Different Levels of Stimulation

Identify spaces that are likely to generate different levels of sensory activity and arrange them appropriately.

Important Points to Consider
  • Identify low, moderate and high sensory zones during concept design.
  • Separate quiet functions from noisy or highly active areas.
  • Avoid locating quiet rooms beside plant rooms, kitchens or busy circulation.
  • Introduce transitional areas between highly contrasting environments.
  • Provide alternatives to high-stimulation routes where practical.
  • Consider sensory zoning as part of the overall planning strategy.
Sensory Zoining

3. Lighting

Visual Comfort & Control

Lighting can significantly affect sensory comfort, concentration and orientation.

Important Points to Consider
  • Avoid excessive glare.
  • Minimise visually perceptible flicker.
  • Control direct sunlight through blinds, shading or appropriate glazing.
  • Avoid sudden changes between very bright and very dark spaces.
  • Use diffuse lighting where appropriate.
  • Provide local or adjustable lighting in spaces occupied for longer periods.
  • Avoid unnecessary flashing or rapidly changing decorative lighting.
  • Consider reflections from floors, walls, mirrors and screens.

4. Acoustics

Managing Noise & Reverberation

Background noise, reverberation and competing sounds can make communication and concentration difficult.

Important Points to Consider
  • Control reverberation through appropriate acoustic materials.
  • Separate noisy and quiet activities.
  • Consider noise generated by mechanical and electrical equipment.
  • Avoid unnecessary background music.
  • Reduce competing conversations where communication is important.
  • Consider noise from hand dryers, door closers, lifts and equipment.
  • Provide quieter seating or working options.
  • Maintain required life-safety alarms and warning systems.
Managing Noise & Reverberation

5. Colour & Contrast

Supporting Understanding Without Visual Overload

Colour and contrast should help users understand the environment rather than introduce unnecessary visual complexity.

Important Points to Consider
  • Use contrast to identify important elements.
  • Avoid excessive competing colours.
  • Consider how colours and patterns interact across walls, floors and furniture.
  • Clearly differentiate doors, controls, signage and hazards.
  • Avoid overly complex patterns.
  • Use visual contrast purposefully rather than decoratively.
  • Use colour zoning consistently where introduced.
  • Ensure decorative finishes do not obscure functional information.

6. Visual Complexity

Reducing Unnecessary Visual Information

Highly cluttered environments can increase sensory and cognitive demand.

Important Points to Consider
  • Reduce unnecessary signage.
  • Limit competing graphics and advertisements.
  • Avoid excessive use of digital screens.
  • Maintain clear visual hierarchy.
  • Keep important information visually prominent.
  • Avoid highly reflective or visually busy finishes in key circulation areas.
  • Create calmer visual backgrounds where concentration is required.

7. Wayfinding

Making Navigation Intuitive

Wayfinding should be supported by the architecture itself, with signage reinforcing rather than compensating for the layout.

Important Points to Consider
  • Provide clear and predictable routes.
  • Provide recognisable landmarks.
  • Clearly identify entrances, exits and major destinations.
  • Locate information at decision points.
  • Maintain consistent sign positioning.
  • Provide reassurance information after major route decisions where appropriate.
  • Use consistent terminology throughout.
  • Use simple and concise information.

8. Materials & Finishes

Considering Sensory Impact

Materials influence visual, acoustic, tactile and olfactory experience.

Important Points to Consider
  • Avoid excessive glare from highly polished finishes.
  • Consider tactile comfort at frequent contact points.
  • Consider how replacement materials during maintenance may affect the original design intent.
  • Consider acoustic performance of hard materials.
  • Review smells associated with materials, adhesives and finishes.
  • Avoid floor patterns that may appear as changes in level.
  • Avoid combining multiple highly stimulating materials.

9. Furniture & Seating

Providing Choice

Different users may prefer different levels of enclosure, social interaction and exposure to surrounding activity.

Important Points to Consider
  • Provide a variety of seating types.
  • Consider higher-backed seating where appropriate.
  • Avoid forcing all users into one seating arrangement.
  • Include seating with and without armrests.
  • Provide seating away from major circulation.
  • Integrate choice throughout rather than creating segregated seating.
  • Provide individual and grouped seating options.
  • Allow users to face towards or away from activity.

10. Waiting Areas

Reducing Uncertainty & Sensory Demand

Waiting environments can combine noise, crowding, uncertainty and limited personal control.

Important Points to Consider
  • Clearly communicate where users should wait.
  • Offer quieter waiting options where possible.
  • Consider virtual or ticket-based queueing systems.
  • Explain how users will be called or served.
  • Reduce unnecessary televisions and background media.
  • Provide clear information on expected waiting processes.
  • Provide seating away from major noise sources.
  • Avoid excessive crowding around service points.

11. Reception & Customer Service

Clear, Calm & Understandable Interaction

Reception areas should be immediately identifiable and support comfortable communication.

Important Points to Consider
  • Provide a clear sightline to reception.
  • Clearly define queues.
  • Provide clear information about what happens next.
  • Avoid excessive background noise.
  • Provide nearby seating.
  • Consider users who may require additional processing time.
  • Provide privacy where personal information is exchanged.
  • Avoid relying solely on digital kiosks.

12. Quiet & Low-Stimulation Spaces

Providing Opportunities to Recover

A low-stimulation space allows users to temporarily step away from environmental demands.

Important Points to Consider
  • Locate the space away from major activity.
  • Provide controllable lighting where possible.
  • Allow users to leave independently.
  • Provide good acoustic separation.
  • Avoid strong smells.
  • Make the room easy to find without unnecessary attention.
  • Use calm and uncluttered finishes.
  • Provide simple and comfortable furniture.
  • Protect the space from becoming storage or overflow meeting space.

13. Toilets & Washrooms

Managing Potential Sensory Triggers

Washrooms can contain sudden sounds, strong smells, bright lighting and reflective finishes.

Important Points to Consider
  • Review noise from hand dryers and flushing systems.
  • Minimise strong artificial fragrances.
  • Make controls easy to identify and operate.
  • Consider quieter hand-drying alternatives where practical.
  • Ensure good ventilation.
  • Provide clear wayfinding to facilities.
  • Avoid excessively harsh lighting.
  • Avoid excessive reflections.

14. Thermal Comfort

Avoiding Extreme Environmental Conditions

Temperature and airflow can affect sensory comfort and the ability to remain within a space.

Important Points to Consider
  • Avoid significant temperature differences between adjacent spaces.
  • Provide user control where appropriate.
  • Minimise strong direct drafts.
  • Ensure low-stimulation spaces are thermally comfortable.
  • Consider local heat sources.
  • Consider both indoor and outdoor waiting conditions.

15. Odour

Managing Strong or Persistent Smells

Some users can be particularly sensitive to smell.

Important Points to Consider
  • Avoid unnecessary artificial fragrances.
  • Consider material and furniture off-gassing.
  • Avoid using fragrance as a primary environmental branding feature.
  • Consider smells from kitchens and food areas.
  • Provide appropriate ventilation.
  • Review cleaning products.
  • Separate strong-smelling activities from quieter environments.

16. Digital Screens

Managing Movement & Information

Digital technology can introduce visual movement, sound and additional information into already complex environments.

Important Points to Consider
  • Avoid unnecessary auto-playing content.
  • Prevent screens from competing with essential signage.
  • Provide adequate time to complete interactions.
  • Avoid flashing or rapidly changing visuals.
  • Avoid unnecessary sound.
  • Provide alternatives where essential services are digital-only.
  • Control screen brightness.
  • Keep interfaces simple.

17. Transitions

Managing Changes Between Environments

A sudden change in sensory conditions may be more challenging than either environment individually.

Review transitions between
  • Exterior and interior.
  • Quiet and active spaces.
  • Public and private areas.
  • Entrance and security.
  • Bright and dim spaces.
  • Reception and circulation.
  • Indoor and outdoor environments.
Where appropriate, use
  • Entrance lobbies
  • clear information; and
  • Acoustic buffers
  • Intermediate spaces
  • Gradual lighting changes

18. Choice & Control

Allowing Users to Adapt Their Environment

One sensory environment will not suit everyone. Providing choice is often more inclusive than prescribing a single condition.

Important Points to Consider
  • Seating location;
  • Social interaction;
  • Orientation towards activity;
  • Lighting;
  • Exposure to noise;
  • Open or enclosed spaces;
  • Privacy;
  • Temperature, where practical;
  • Quieter or more active environments;

19. Pre-Arrival Information

Helping Users Know What to Expect

Advance information can reduce uncertainty and help users prepare for unfamiliar environments.

Important Points to Consider
  • Entrance photographs;
  • Transport information;
  • Toilet locations;
  • expected queues; and
  • Building maps;
  • Security procedures;
  • Quiet-space locations;
  • Sensory information where relevant;
  • Parking information;
  • Reception location;
  • Busy and quieter periods;

20. Sensory Mapping

Identifying High-Demand Areas

A sensory map helps designers understand how sensory conditions change across a building or site.

Review each area for
  • Sound;
  • Movement;
  • Temperature;
  • Lighting;
  • Crowding;
  • Predictability;
  • Visual activity;
  • Smell;
  • User control;
Classify areas as
  • LOW SENSORY LOAD
  • MODERATE SENSORY LOAD
  • HIGH SENSORY LOAD

Focus design intervention where several high-load conditions occur simultaneousl

21. Designer's Quick Check

Before design sign-off, ask:
  • Is the environment easy to understand?
  • Are noisy and quiet activities appropriately separated?
  • Do users have choices in how they use the space?
  • Have transitions between different sensory environments been considered?
  • Are circulation routes intuitive?
  • Is glare controlled?
  • Can users control aspects of their environment where appropriate?
  • Can users understand what will happen next?
  • Are unnecessary sensory stimuli reduced?
  • Is visual information clear and uncluttered?
  • Is there somewhere to pause or recover?
  • Has the complete user journey been reviewed?