Your World Can Be Better
If you live with autism, ADHD, or a chronic mental illness like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, depression, or anxiety, the world can feel totally overwhelming.
The world is too loud, too hot, too big, and sometimes, too restrictive.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
At GloWing Design, we strive to put your unique needs, senses, and preferences first to design spaces that are meant for you.
Reach out to us today so we can make a better world, together.
Why is Design Important?
The needs of neurodivergent people and people living with certain chronic mental illnesses are complex and individual. Among the least-appreciated of those needs are our physical environments. Everyone benefits from warm, safe, and familiar spaces, but those of us living with autism, ADHD, OCD and more must navigate additional obstacles that our neurotypical peers do not, simply because our homes, our streets, and our towns are not designed to meet us.
People who live with Autism, ADHD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – referred to collectively as “neurodivergence” - perceive and interact with the world in different ways than people who do not live with these conditions. The world does not often consider the unique needs of our community and our conditions, which can make our lives far more difficult than they need to be: a lively city becomes an overwhelming barrage of noise, a comfortable chair is made unusable by its texture, a complicated floor pattern transforms into an un-navigable maze. One person with OCD is compulsed to touch doorknobs, while another fears contamination in any material with too many crevasses; one person with ADHD seeks sound to calm them down, another needs space to move.
Thoughtful design turns a space into an oasis where it is easier to focus, navigate, find joy, and live in peace, while reducing instances of sensory overload, internal distraction, and compulsive triggers. Even a commercial or public space can be made inclusive and comfortable for a far wider audience through early consideration in the design process.
At GloWing Design, our goal is to help our neurodivergent and mentally ill communities thrive. We know that there is far more to thriving for neurodivergent people than to simply help us act more like neurotypical people; thriving means that we can act more like ourselves, in safety, comfort, and joy.
What We Do
As spatial design consultants, our specialty is assessing your space - be it your room, apartment, house, cafe, office, museum, or park - to determine how well it meets the needs of those living with autism, ADHD, OCD, and more.
Guided by your preferences and budget, we work with you to create actionable suggestions to improve the capacity of your space to meet these needs.
This might include:
Changes to the texture or shape of your furniture.
Changes to lighting intensity, color, and naturalness.
Acoustic dampening.
Changes to door knobs and handles for ease of access.
The creation of perch points, transition zones, and privacy areas.
And more!
There’s no magic or proprietary method to it - we listen, we observe, and we tell you what will help. That’s all there is to it.
How We Do It
Consultations start at 1 hour.
GloWing Design provides both in-person and virtual consultations. We strongly prefer an in-person meeting, if possible; this will allow us the best possible understanding of your space, which will allow us to provide the best possible solutions!
Each basic consultation includes an assessment of your space, an interview and discussion with you, and a written list of actionable suggestions.
We make the process as simple and straightforward for you as possible.
