Whether you’re a seasoned Notion user or just beginning your journey, you’ve likely experienced moments of overwhelm. This could stem from figuring out how to build what you want, managing information overload, or dealing with digital clutter that accumulates when you’re still developing your own systems.
In my 6+ years of using Notion, and 5+ years of teaching it in a professional context, I’ve learned a few “best practices” that can help folks build and better navigate the chaos of digital workspaces, especially those of us who might identify as being neurodiverse.
A Note About Neurodiversity
Neurodivergence is a bit of an umbrella term that encompasses various neurological differences such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and others. It refers to variations in brain function and behavioural traits that diverge from what is considered typical or “neurotypical” in society. This can include sensory disorders, learning disorders, or other conditions which present a variety of challenges when trying to perform tasks that require high executive functioning.
Executive functioning challenges like planning, organization, and prioritizing tasks are often more difficult for neurodivergent individuals and can demand a serious amount of focus and energy.
When our digital spaces are cluttered, confusing, or contain too much information all at once, it’s a recipe for overwhelm, anxiety, and burnout.
Designing for everyone
Whether you’re designing a Notion workspace for yourself or for collaborative use, you’ll encounter unique challenges.
If you’re creating collaborative Notion workspaces for a small team, you’ve likely noticed how differently people use the tool and express their preferences. You may be working with individuals who have varying technical skills, cognitive abilities, and working memory capacities.
By designing our digital workspaces to reduce cognitive load and enhance navigation, we improve the experience for everyone.
Many of these best practices and principles draw inspiration from the fields of Learning and Instructional Design.
When we design workspaces that are neurodivergent-friendly, we make workspaces better for everyone.
This comprehensive guide is available as a Notion document, which allows for much more flexible formatting than a standard blog page.
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