It's my superpower: Enterprise Design Thinking from a neurodivergent creator’s perspective

What's wrong with this statement?

As a neurodivergent creator, I often find myself perceiving the world in ways others don’t—and that’s a superpower when it comes to shaping user experiences requiring ease, clarity, and empathy.

For many, nothing. For me, since I am neurodivergent and I've heard this "superpower" line time and time again, forgive the slang but it's tired. It's done. I begin to think, what else is on this channel called neurodivergence.

Let's rephrase this.

I experience the world a bit differently. Being neurodivergent means constantly adapting to systems that weren’t designed with me in mind. I crave ease, clarity, and empathy—and really, isn’t that the universal user need? Lucky for me, I'm a designer too.

The Enterprise Design Thinking (EDT) framework is set up in a way that it addresses human-centered problem-solving. It provides the perfect structure to harness a unique perspective to integrate into design models based on attention, focus, listening, and empathy.

Understanding the core toolkits: Hills, As-Is, and Storytelling

Hills Statements are a cornerstone of EDT. They aren’t vague goals—they’re clear, user-focused outcomes that tell us who we’re helping, what they need, and why it matters. For example, a good Hill might be:

A first-time content creator can easily structure and publish an SEO-optimized blog post within 30 minutes without feeling overwhelmed.

To address these needs, channel empathy into something actionable. Use a Hills Statement. Hills force you to slow down and think: How can I remove barriers for users who think differently, process differently, or feel overwhelmed by cluttered systems?

The As-Is Statement comes next. It helps us acknowledge the current state—the frustrations, pain points, and barriers users face. Before designing solutions, map the As-Is landscape focused on the user needs:

First-time content creators spend hours searching for best practices, feel anxious about performance metrics, and abandon posts due to uncertainty.

This honest assessment resonates with me, especially knowing how overwhelming complexity can feel. My anxiety teaches me to crave simplicity, and that need transfers to my users. I can understand them on a personal level.

Storytelling brings these insights to life. One of my favorite parts of EDT is that storytelling is not a buzzword—it’s essential. Stories help stakeholders understand the ‘why’ behind our decisions and keep the user at the center. As a creator, I often tell stories through visuals and short narratives:

Meet Alex, a freelance content creator who’s passionate about environmental topics but struggles with the technical side of SEO. They need tools that guide without condescending, and templates that reduce cognitive load.

Needs Statements: Designing for real human requirements

EDT’s Needs Statements are the bridge between empathy and action. A strong Needs Statement clarifies what a user truly has to have—not what they say they want, but what will help them accomplish their goals confidently and sustainably.

Alex needs an intuitive workflow and supportive templates to publish content that feels both professional and authentic, reducing the cognitive burden of decision fatigue.

By grounding these statements in user stories and As-Is realities, we begin to craft not just solutions, but experiences that feel accessible and empowering.

Sustainability and toolkit ideas

In a world where design waste is real (both in time and digital clutter), sustainability must be intentional. Here's a suggestible way to approach weaving sustainability into the EDT process:

• Reusable templates: Create frameworks users can adapt rather than starting from scratch.
• Guided workflows: Step-by-step journeys that respect cognitive pacing.
• Clear success metrics: Communicate what "done" looks like so users don’t spiral into perfectionism.
• Content clean-up triggers: Encourage regular review and archival of outdated content to avoid digital overwhelm.

Tools I rely on

• Mural or Miro: For mapping As-Is states visually
• Figma: To prototype accessible, clean UI solutions
• Notion: To build and share templates that are both beautiful and structured
• Canva: Quick storytelling visuals to share Hill statements and user stories

Final thoughts

Enterprise Design Thinking, when viewed through a neurodivergent lens, becomes a tool for radical empathy. It allows us to design not only for the average user but for those who might feel like outliers—and in doing so, we create universally better experiences.

If you’re a creator, designer, or writer: Slow down, map your Hills, tell your stories, and most importantly, design with empathy and sustainability in mind. The user experience—and our planet—will thank you.