Notes from the
dyslexic side of
the screen

Note 1.
A definition of dyslexia

Dyslexia is a common learning
difficulty that can cause problems with
reading, writing and spelling.

It's a specific learning difficulty –
rather than a disability – and a lifelong
problem that can present challenges
on a daily basis.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia

Note 2.
My dyslexia at the start
of the pandemic

When unexpected things happen, especially
at work – and especially using new or
unfamiliar (to me) digital technology, my
cognitive load rises, and I can’t keep up with
what is happening around me.

In June 2020 I joined Nexer Digital –
after running my own content design
business poe{t}ech for several years.

After on-boarding for a few days at Nexer I
was assigned to the DfE to be part of a
Covid response project supporting trainee
and newly qualified teachers (the Early
Career Framework).

For the first two weeks of my new
project at the DfE, I experienced
most of my dyslexic issues most
or some of the day.
Every day.

Note 3.
Insight into some
of my challenges

WORDS

Words in sentences jumble and scramble
Words jumble and sentences in scramble

Words and letters jump around on the
screen or page
I can’t recreate this experience well-
enough to share it

- by themselves, as in I can't control it at all

- especially character sequences like:

123 or 789
ea/ae or iu/ui

I mis-type…

… all the time

And mis-typing is not the same as making
some typos

I type 'd' instead of ‘b’ - and vice versa
- again, I can't control this at all

I miss ‘t’ and ‘r’ out of lots of words

I have a long list of words that I mis-spell;
these include:

Even though I know I mis-spell these words I
can’t stop myself from doing it.
Nor am I aware of the mis-spelling at the
point of doing it.

Words are and I have no idea when
this happens.
So, I’ll sometimes read the wrong word and
totally misunderstand something.

This is stressful for me.
It can be very confusing for colleagues in my
team.
It also means I can present as someone who
has no idea about what I am doing.

SCREENS

When my cognitive load increases, I
experience what I call screen blindness or
screen blur –

Screen blindness, and screen blur,
are not clinical terms

They are descriptions I have made
up to try and convey what
happens as part of my dyslexia

This is what screen blindness and screen
blur look like.
Sort of.

DWP homepage
low cognitive load
no screen blur

rising cognitive load
screen blur begins

rising cognitive load
screen blur worsens

high cognitive load
screen blurred beyond
recognition

high cognitive load
I can lose colour(s)

high cognitive load
words, sentences, paragraphs
and whole screen can invert

CONFUSION AND DISORIENTATION

once my screen
blurs it's hard to
take anything in

people speak but
all I can hear is…

blah
blah message
blah
blah

Note 4.
The superpower

Dyslexia allows me to see the world in
creative and unexpected ways

This is brilliant when I want to see the world
in unexpected and creative ways

However, dyslexia is the opposite of a
superpower in certain situations – like:

• during an interview (either side of the table)
• during a presentation (giving them)
• driving a car in new places
• presenting a deck like this on unfamiliar set-up
• in an exam or a test
• when people use jargon or long complex words

Note 5.
Things to try not to say

“Oooh you have a superpower”

“Oooh you have a superpower”
“I wish I had a superpower”

“Oooh you have a superpower”
“I wish I had a superpower”
“I’m a bad speller too”

“Oooh you have a superpower”
“I wish I had a superpower”
“I’m a bad speller too”
“We’re all a bit dyslexic aren’t we?”

“Oooh you have a superpower”
“I wish I had a superpower”
“I’m a bad speller too”
“We’re all a bit dyslexic aren’t we?”
“Don't worry about it”

Note 6.
Design features that help
dyslexic people

breadcrumbs so a person always knows where they are

and can find their way back to somewhere more familiar

dark mode option

screen filter option

clear messaging in plain language

short words / lean microcopy

a chatbot as alternative nav

(when all else fails) the site map

live chat with a live person
(including wait times, queue position
and prompts to keep chat open)

sans serif fonts | sentences with as few
clauses as possible | lots of white space

the same/related words, colours, shapes
and layouts
(consistency in content design)

things where I expect them to be
(congruence in content design)

Note 7.
Things we do at Nexer Digital
to support each other

supported to share our work and
challenges in a non-judgemental
team environment

What does this look like on a
day-to-day basis?

IN GENERAL
1. Our team is a kind, collegiate place
2. We work transparently and out in the open
3. We share design resources and outputs;
everything is accessible via the cloud
4. We are committed to a no-blame culture

5. We all understand that whatever was done was
the best possible solution at that time and in the
specific context
6. We are encouraged to bring our whole selves to
work and supported to discuss anything we need
to – professional or personal
7. We have a Mental Health first aider, a MH Teams
channel and those of us who feel comfortable,
can talk openly about our MH – this is our choice.

IN THE CONTENT TEAM
1. We work to hold a safe, creative working space
2. We pair write/design whenever we can
3. We review each other’s approaches and designs
4. We practice active listening
5. And we work with positivity in our feedback

8.
The not-so-good and
the good of design

• Lots of data input
required at onboarding
• I inevitably mis-type
• Put me in a sign-up loop
that lasted 20 mins
• Accessibility help took me
to general help section
Not-so-good design and user experience:
PayByPhone - onboarding

• Animated modals
to make form
filling easier
• Seamless
experience =
great content
design
The best content design and user experience:
TV Licensing

Closing thought…
the perfect design and team do not exist.
However, being more aware of the challenges our
users and colleagues face and reflecting that
awareness in what we build – as well as the
systems we use to design – goes a long way to
making things better for more people.

Thank you for listening…
Lisa Matthews; senior content designer
nexerdigital.com
lisa.matthews@nexergroup.com
Poetech3 (Twitter) | poetech_poetech (Insta)