Rethinking how to fuel creativity: Designing the workplace for all minds
June 16, 2025
The creative industry — advertising, marketing, public relations, and media — thrives on imagination. Fresh perspectives and boundary-pushing ideas bring its work to life. So it’s no surprise that nearly half (48%) of its workforce identify as neurodivergent. Neurodivergent talent bring extraordinary strengths. They’re inventive problem-solvers. Nonlinear thinkers. You might say they see the world through a different lens.
Industry culture and workplaces are still designed around neurotypical ways of working.
In early 2025, Understood.org conducted a multi-phase research study. Its goal? To learn about the experiences of neurodivergent employees in the creative industry. What are their unique strengths? What challenges are they facing? And what do they need?
The study found that the industry’s emphasis on productivity and its rigid timelines are barriers to creativity. Unspoken expectations around communication and behavior force 90% of neurodivergent creatives into “masking” — hiding their traits to fit in. Doing this day after day dampens creative flow. And it leads to burnout and disengagement.
The good news? We have the tools and the momentum to evolve.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), for example, offers valuable tools. People can use AI to streamline tasks and to find alternative ways to express ideas.
But the real transformation begins with people. It takes leaders and teams who embrace flexibility, clarity, and autonomy. Together, they can unlock not just individual potential, but teamwide innovation. They can create a safe space where all thinkers can do their most creative work.
It’s not just about formal accommodations. Many employees know support is available. But they hesitate to ask for it. A truly inclusive environment doesn’t wait for requests. It anticipates what people might need. It normalizes differences. It builds practices that work for all kinds of minds.
It’s not just the right thing to do. It’s also a smart business choice.
When we make space for diverse cognitive styles, everyone benefits. Teams become more resilient. Ideas get bolder. And creativity, in its fullest and truest form, can finally flourish.
Learn more about neurodivergence in the creative industry. And find out how agency and brand leaders can reimagine work through a neuroinclusive lens.
Thank you to the American Association of Advertising Agencies (the 4As) and Havas for their generous support of this study.
