UXPA Boston Conference 2024

Did you know that some people are so sensitive they can perceive minutia, physically feel your feelings, have deep insights daily, and are stirred to empathize with nearly everyone? They are 15- 20% of the world’s population, and they are often lost in the shuffle of a “go big or go home”, fast-paced society. Awareness of these people as product users, fellow employees, and citizens has implications for us UX Designers and Researchers. In this talk, I introduce Highly Sensitive People, who research has shown are temperamentally quite different from the other 80% of the population. Described as “sentinels”, they are alert and attentive by nature, and are easily overwhelmed in stimulating environments. As users of digital products, they pick up on subtle details that others might gloss over, a boon for designers who relish the opportunity to delight users with refined, inspired designs. They also need more control over user settings, fewer interruptions, and more time to process information than most other users. Yet if they are given the right digital tools, they stand to help society in unforeseen ways, as their strengths have been driven underground in an attempt to fit in with the majority. In supportive work environments, they stand to contribute high quality designs, leadership, and useful feedback.