The Stimpunks project is a design system for understanding and shaping environments so that diverse minds can thrive.
It connects lived neurodivergent experience with patterns, design practices, and environmental transformation.
The system moves through several layers.
principles↓method↓patterns↓recipes↓environments↓civilizationEach layer translates knowledge into a different form.
Principles
Design principles provide the philosophical foundation of the system.
They describe the values and assumptions that guide neurodivergent design.
See:
Principles answer the question:
What does it mean to design for cognitive diversity?
Method
The method explains how neurodivergent design is practiced.
It turns principles into a repeatable process.
See:
- The Neurodivergent Design Methodology
- The Neurodivergent Design Playbook
- Neurodivergent Design Case Studies
The method follows a simple progression:
experience↓friction↓pattern↓recipe↓environmentPatterns
Patterns describe recurring structures of neurodivergent life.
They explain why certain forms of environmental friction appear repeatedly.
See:
Examples of patterns include:
Patterns form the knowledge base of the design system.
Recipes
Recipes translate patterns into practical design moves.
They describe how environments can change to support neurodivergent participation.
See:
Examples include:
- Designing Attention Sanctuaries
- Designing Sensory-Safe Spaces
- Designing Flexible Participation
- Designing Monotropic Workflows
- Designing Recovery Cycles
Recipes are the practical tools of the system.
Environments
Recipes combine to form environments that support neurodivergent life.
Examples include:
- Neurodivergent Homes
- Neurodivergent Studios
- Neurodivergent Workplaces
- Neurodivergent Community Spaces
- Neurodivergent Learning Ecosystems
- Neurodivergent Cities
One experimental environment bringing many of these ideas together is:
Civilization
When neurodivergent design scales beyond individual environments, it begins to reshape systems and institutions.
Examples include:
- Designing a Neurodivergent Civilization
- The Architecture of Neurodivergent Civilization
- The Neurodivergent Civilization Atlas
- The Neurodivergent Commons
- The Neurodivergent Renaissance
- The Future of Neurodivergent Civilization
This layer explores the long-term implications of neurodivergent design for society.
The Full System
The complete Stimpunks design system can be visualized like this:
lived experience↓environmental friction↓patterns of neurodivergent life↓design recipes↓supportive environments↓neurodivergent civilizationThis structure allows lived experience to become design knowledge that shapes the world.
Continue Exploring
Learn the Framework
- The Neurodivergent Design Field Guide
- The Neurodivergent Design Handbook
- The Neurodivergent Architecture Handbook
