Accessible by Design: Seeing Differently Through Diverse Cognitive Styles

Research Design

Visually Mag

January 8, 2025

Designers frequently assume that their audiences perceive visual information similarly, but cognitive neuroscience shows a far deeper and more nuanced reality. People see the same data through distinct cognitive lenses, influenced by their cognitive processing mechanisms, experiences, and preferences.

Discover how interactive layouts, parallel design treatments, and real-world testing can reveal how different minds interpret the same information. This issue combines scientific insight, practical experimentation, and actionable takeaways to help designers create graphics appealing to a wide audience range.

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Seeing Through the Lens of the Brain

At its most fundamental level, the human brain filters and interprets visual input in specific manners. Spatial awareness, memory recall, emotional connections, and cultural background can all influence how someone perceives an identical design. Neuroscience has found several critical characteristics of these differences:

Individuals perceive information differently; some focus on the big picture (holistic perception), while others concentrate on specific details (detail-oriented perception). Designers must balance these perspectives to create compelling layouts for both audiences.

To create a healing environment, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore integrates biophilic design elements, such as natural light and greenery. Holistic thinkers appreciate the overall calming atmosphere, while detail-oriented individuals notice the intricate design features like the variety of plant species and natural materials used. This design approach has led to reduced stress and anxiety levels among patients and staff.‍

Sequential processors prefer linear, step-by-step information flows, while simultaneous processors excel at integrating multiple data points at once. Navigation design often emphasizes this distinction.

A study on layout design found that sequential displays influence users to prefer the first or last options due to primacy and recency effects, whereas simultaneous displays lead users to gravitate toward central options. Understanding these tendencies helps designers create interfaces that cater to both sequential and simultaneous processors.

Cognitive styles also vary in the degree of emotional influence on interpretation. Analytical thinkers focus on facts and structure, while emotionally driven individuals may prioritize expressive imagery.

The integration of abundant greenery, natural light, and minimalist furniture design creates a serene and functional healing environment that caters to both emotional comfort and practica.

Kalukanda House in Sri Lanka emphasizes sustainability and emotional engagement in its design. Using natural materials, local craftsmanship, and thoughtful spatial planning appeals to emotionally driven guests by creating a nostalgic and authentic experience. Analytical guests appreciate the functional aspects, such as natural ventilation and efficient use of space.

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Elements for Cognitive Exploration

Designing interactive elements that cater to diverse cognitive styles enhances user engagement and accessibility. Let's explore real-life examples and case studies that illustrate effective implementations of these principles.

A study published in the International Journal of Digital Earth evaluated split and joint layout designs for visual analytics interfaces. The research compared two interface designs: one with split views and another with integrated layouts. Findings indicated that split layouts allowed users to focus on specific data aspects without losing context, benefiting both holistic and detail-oriented users.

Split layout views offer users the option to choose between different design approaches, accommodating both holistic and detail-oriented thinkers.

Providing information in both timeline and dashboard formats caters to sequential and simultaneous processors.

TextMagic, a customer experience platform, features a CRM dashboard that presents data in various formats. Sequential processors can follow linear data flows, while simultaneous processors can view interconnected data points in a non-linear dashboard. This design flexibility enhances user experience by accommodating different cognitive preferences.

Incorporating tools that simulate various color perceptions ensures inclusivity for users with diverse cultural backgrounds, color vision deficiencies, and emotional sensitivities.

Color Oracle is a free color blindness simulator for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It shows in real-time what people with common color vision impairments will see. Designers use this tool to evaluate and adjust their color choices, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in their designs.

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Implementing Interactive Elements

To effectively incorporate these interactive elements into your designs:

User Testing: Conduct usability testing with individuals representing various cognitive styles to gather feedback and refine interactive features.
Customization Options: Allow users to customize their interface preferences, such as choosing between split layouts or integrated views, to enhance their experience.
Accessibility Compliance: Ensure that color perception tools and other interactive elements comply with accessibility standards to accommodate users with disabilities.

By integrating these interactive elements thoughtfully, designers can create more inclusive and engaging experiences that cater to a wide range of cognitive preferences.

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Insights From Real-World Testing

Google Maps effectively balances detail-oriented and holistic designs. The default map view provides a clean, high-level overview, ideal for users who prefer a broader perspective. However, users can zoom in to reveal intricate street details, public transportation routes, and nearby businesses, catering to detail-focused users. This layering strategy ensures that users engage with the interface at their preferred level of detail.

Layered design with customizable levels of information prevents cognitive overload while allowing deeper exploration for those who need it.

Amazon caters to both sequential and simultaneous processors by offering diverse navigation options. Sequential users can follow a linear path through search results, product pages, and checkout. Simultaneous processors, on the other hand, benefit from features like comparison tables, “Frequently Bought Together” suggestions, and a dynamic dashboard of recommendations based on browsing history.

Several navigation pathways, such as dashboards, tabs, or step-by-step processes, accommodate different cognitive preferences.

Airbnb’s branding and interface demonstrate the power of emotional design. The platform uses imagery of real homes and families to evoke a sense of belonging, aligning with its tagline, “Belong Anywhere.” Even data-driven users resonate with these emotionally rich visuals because they add context and create a personal connection. Typography and user-generated content also amplify the emotional resonance of the design.

Emotional elements like imagery and typography create universal appeal, transcending user preferences for analytical or emotional content.

The Nielsen Norman Group’s studies highlight how balancing linear and non-linear navigation designs improves inclusivity. One test revealed that adding a “Next” button for linear navigation and a clickable sitemap for non-linear browsing significantly increased user satisfaction.

Microsoft’s Inclusive Design Toolkit emphasizes layering information and providing user choice. For example, Microsoft Office applications allow users to toggle between simplified and advanced toolbars, catering to different cognitive styles and processing preferences.

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‍Actionable Design Recommendations

Layered Design: Incorporate zoomable interfaces or toggles to provide high-level overviews and detailed views.

Flexible Navigation: Offer step-by-step guidance for sequential users and dashboards or shortcuts for simultaneous processors.

Emotional Cues: Integrate universally relatable imagery and typography to engage users across all cognitive styles.

By drawing from these real-world examples and research-backed insights, designers can craft interfaces that are both engaging and universally accessible.

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The Power of Designing for Every Mind

Design affects how people engage with the environment, and cognitive neuroscience shows that "one-size-fits-all" approaches exclude a significant percentage of any audience. Designers can create useful and genuinely inclusive work by having a thorough understanding of cognitive variation.

Embracing diversity allows us to interact successfully with everyone, regardless of how they "see" the world.

So, whether you're creating an app, a website, or a brand identity, remember that each user is unique. And that distinctiveness provides you with an opportunity to create.

By incorporating neuroscience concepts into the design process and providing designers with direct experience, Seeing Differently provides a transformational lens to tackle creative difficulties. After all, seeing things from a new perspective is essential to designing for everyone.

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