Designing for Sensitivity: A UX Guide to Calmer Interfaces

“Why do websites put all of these annoying popups and videos and things in my face?” he asked.

 “Why don’t you just ignore it?” His wife replied.

“How can I?”

This was part of a conversation I had with a couple who were on vacation. As a UX designer I study people’s reactions for a living, so I couldn’t help but notice the woman’s surprise that her partner was unable to ignore these common interface annoyances, and how surprised he was that they didn’t bother her. 

We continued talking, and the woman eventually admitted that sometimes, if she was tired or stressed, she became more sensitive to things she could normally handle. 

Which brought us to the topic of highly sensitive people, or HSPs. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, it refers to an innate temperamental trait found in 20–30% of the population. It was first identified as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) by psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron in the mid-1990s. Over time, the concept has grown in popularity alongside our growing cultural awareness of neurodiversity.

An important part of our job as web designers is to ensure that the digital spaces we build are accessible. While high sensitivity is rooted in temperament rather than being a clinical condition, HSPs process sensory and emotional input much more deeply than the average person. Because of this, designing for sensitive nervous systems draws on many of the same principles as neuroinclusive design. By following a few simple rules to make your website more welcoming to HSPs, you can create a calmer, more intuitive user experience that benefits everyone.

What is a “Highly Sensitive Person?” 

Being “highly sensitive” is a natural variation in how people are wired, marked by heightened sensitivity to stimuli, deep processing of information, and strong emotional responses. HSPs feel more and as a result are easily overstimulated.

The term HSP matters for UX design because our environment, real or digital,  affects how we feel and by extension, how we behave. When creating digital products, it’s important to consider all the ways the experience we’re designing could either support or overwhelm people. It’s the difference between encouraging them to interact with your website, or abandon it. 

Consider this mockup of a new design for a Kalamuna blog post that includes a lot of the patterns that would be terrible for an HSP:

This example is so stimulating that it’s comical, and a lot of people would have a hard time finding what they need on a site like this, or being able to trust it. Yet many sites use one or more of these methods to get your attention as a way to “increase conversions” but it’s often a lost cause. The tactics that some marketers use to boost engagement can backfire by overwhelming people.

This doesn’t just apply to HSPs. Everyone is sensitive to varying degrees and their sensitivity can come into play more strongly during certain circumstances. When you’re well-rested, loud noises may not bother you, but when you’re tired, they might make you feel more annoyed or startled. 

If you’re an HSP, or if you’re tired, overwhelmed, or in a noisy environment, a calm and intuitive website can provide relief and help you focus on what you came to do, whether that’s accessing critical government information, buying something, or browsing content without interruption. This can foster trust and compel you to return, or at least not dread having to return. From a business’ perspective, creating a calm and intuitive website can boost engagement by making it more approachable and easy to use. Less friction equals more time and energy saved.

Note that some people can be highly sensitive to one or more types of stimuli such as noise, light, temperature, clutter, smells, crowds, tone or choice of words, aesthetics, violent or intense imagery, time pressure, drugs like caffeine, social situations, and more. 

When we design with sensitivity in mind, we create experiences that are more inclusive, accessible, efficient, trustworthy, and user-friendly for a wider range of people. It’s generally good for everyone.

How to design for HSPs (and everyone else)

Designing websites and digital interfaces with sensitivity in mind requires consideration, since HSPs are more affected by overstimulation, emotional content, and usability issues. Here are some design principles and features tailored for sensitivity.

UX and Visual Design: Create Calm and Focus

HSPs are particularly sensitive to visual clutter, animations, and abrupt sensory changes. To ensure your designs feel welcoming:

Minimize Sensory Overload

• Avoid excessive animations or autoplaying videos or carousels. Provide users with control over media playback. (Or at the very least, include an obvious pause button for any autoplaying elements.)
• Use clean layouts with plenty of white space to create a sense of calm and make it easier to focus on what’s important.
• Be conscientious and purposeful when using color, graphic elements, and imagery:
  • Ensure elements have a reason and purpose (otherwise it might be a distraction). For example, a specific color might be reserved for interactive elements like buttons and links, as well as the brand logo (which would also be a link to the homepage).
  • Ensure the design has the appropriate tone for the context, otherwise it might be confusing or misleading. For example, using funny cartoon imagery on a government website about taxes might undermine the validity of the content, and erode trust.

Choose Color and Type Thoughtfully

• Use color and contrast to draw attention to important elements (especially on forms or applications) instead of everywhere or for purely decorative purposes.
• Avoid clashing or jarring color combinations or unnecessary contrast, to avoid visual strain. 
• Choose clear, legible type faces, display them at readable sizes and ensure adequate contrast between text and backgrounds.
  • Make sure there is a clear hierarchy in the typography so people can easily scan the content.

Carefully Consider Animations & Sounds 

• If using animations, make them gentle and purposeful to avoid triggering motion sensitivity. For example, a slight animation on a button to make it look like it has been pressed can have a reassuring effect.
• If incorporating moving elements or substantial animations, provide options to disable them.
• Avoid the use of sounds, but if they are used, make them optional, soft, and easy to mute.

Simplify Navigation

• Design intuitive menus with clear labels, and use common conventions when determining their placement and appearance. 
• Offer search functionality for quick access to information. 
• Consider other navigational cues like breadcrumbs to keep people oriented and let them see where they are in the website.

Offer Customization

• Let users adjust font sizes, contrast, or even enable a “low-stimulation” mode.
• Incorporate a dark mode option.
• Give users the option to toggle off features like motion effects, animations, and autoplaying videos.

Avoid Overwhelm During Transactions

• Simplify transactions by minimizing steps and distractions where possible. 
• Provide clear feedback at every stage, with progress indicators and confirmation messages. 
• Include info or help for anything that might not be clear to everyone.

Ensure Fast Load Times

• Slow sites make users more likely to leave. They may even think the site is broken.

Content: Provide Clarity and Empathy

Words carry weight, especially for highly sensitive people. Understanding your audience, their needs, and their potential reactions is crucial for creating content that is both appropriate and considerate. This means understanding who your users are, what they came to do, and what their potential context is (which will vary). Doing some upfront user research, and also testing your designs with real content, is the best way to ensure what you make is appropriate.

Begin creating content with a mindful approach by taking these steps:

Be Clear and Helpful

• Use appropriate language and tone for the subject matter. Be clear and concise. Avoid overly salesy or pushy language.
• When crafting content or UX copy (like for a 404 page), consider how someone might feel when they encounter the page, and craft considerate and useful copy that will help guide them with what to do next.
• Provide clear explanations, especially for complex processes. 
• Consider breaking up long forms with progress indicators and helpful microcopy (or tips) so people know where they are at in the process and always have support nearby.

Provide Predictability 

• Set clear expectations by labeling buttons, links, and navigation elements in ways that users can easily predict outcomes.

Add Empathetic Touchpoints

• Recognize common user pain points (e.g., needing help or reassurance during checkout) and address them with friendly, human-centered microcopy.

Make It Concise and Scannable

• Break content into short paragraphs, use headers, and leverage bullet points.
• Ensure critical information is easy to find.

Write Inclusive Messaging

• Consider using inclusive language and imagery that reflects and welcomes diverse audiences.

Designing with Care

Sensitivity is a setting that rises and falls in all of us, turned up by a long day, a noisy room, or a screen that asks for too much at once. The couple on vacation made that visible: one of them simply reached his limit sooner than the other did. Designing with care and creating interfaces with less noise and more clarity helps people do what they came to do with less friction. This approach is good for business too, but its true value lies in the feeling it leaves behind. Every low-stress interaction tells people that their time, energy, and peace of mind are respected. 

References:

Aron, E. N. (1997). The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. New York: Broadway Books.

Greven, C. U., Lionetti, F., Booth, C., Aron, E. N., Fox, E., Schendan, H. E., Pluess, M., Bruining, H., Acevedo, B., Bijttebier, P., & Homberg, J. (2019). Sensory Processing Sensitivity in the context of Environmental Sensitivity: A critical review and development of research agenda. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 287–305. 

Lionetti, F., Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Burns, G. L., Jagiellowicz, J., & Pluess, M. (2018). Dandelions, tulips and orchids: evidence for the existence of low-sensitive, medium-sensitive and high-sensitive individuals. Translational Psychiatry, 8(1), 24.

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