Designing for Cognitive Diversity in Culture and the Workplace

We all experience the world differently.

For some of us, it’s through words and structured explanations. For others, it’s through images, sensations, or patterns that appear less linear but no less meaningful. Whether you’re standing in front of a masterpiece in a gallery or navigating the modern workplace, our experiences are shaped by the ways we process and engage with information.

Imagine you’re standing in front of a painting. No label in sight, no QR code on the wall. You lift your phone, scan the artwork, and instantly unlock the story behind it. This is Pladia’s Image Recognition, and it reflects something bigger than technology.

Too often, the systems around us assume a single “default” way. Traditional approaches assume a visitor will seek out and interpret text, but this doesn’t work for everyone. Museum wall labels privilege those who are confident readers, usually in one language. Similarly, workplace norms reward the most verbal or extroverted. In both cases, the richness of human diversity is underserved.

At Pladia, we believe in designing for inclusion, not only in the products we build for cultural institutions, but also in the culture we foster for our own team.

That’s the experience we’ve designed with Pladia’s Image Recognition. Rich contextual content is provided instantly. It works for those who process information visually, prefer audio over reading, or speak a different first language. This is one way we’re reducing barriers to cultural engagement. It’s not the whole answer, but it’s a practical step toward a more accessible visitor experience.

Behind this feature is a broader philosophy, one that also informs how we build our workplace culture: designing for different ways of processing and engaging.

Reducing friction: evolving from QR codes to image recognition

Cultural institutions have long faced a trade-off between accessibility and aesthetics. QR codes achieved somewhat of a renaissance during and post-pandemic, they’re functional and

most demographics are capable of interacting with them. However, they do come with operational overhead, printing, placement, and maintenance. With frequently changing exhibitions or outdoor sculptures, the challenge is even greater.

Pladia’s Image Recognition resolves this tension and in testing achieved 85%+ accuracy, a promising outcome we’re continuing to improve. By allowing visitors to scan an artwork directly, it:

1. Enhances visitor engagement: delivers instant access to detailed information like artist background, historical context, and techniques employed. This allows visitors to delve deeper into exhibits at their own pace and according to their interests, transforming passive viewing into a fully immersive and interactive experience.
2. Personalizes learning and exploration:  can be incorporated into interactive educational tools that reinforce learning and make the museum experience more engaging and appealing, particularly for younger audiences.
3. Streamlines museum operations: automates the identification and labeling of artworks instantly, and allows museums to streamline operations for changing exhibitions. It reduces frequent printing costs, and frees up staffing resources by eliminating the need for staff to maintain physical codes and labels .
4. Fosters greater accessibility: translates exhibit labels and descriptions into various languages, helping museums be more welcoming to a global audience. While it’s only one aspect of accessibility, it expands choice for visitors who prefer or need multilingual options.

For cultural institutions, the result is operational efficiency paired with deeper visitor engagement—a rare win-win.

Just as Image Recognition helps visitors engage with culture on their own terms, neuroinclusion helps employees thrive at work on theirs.

Practicing neuroinclusion at work

The same principle applies in the workplace. Just as visitors process art differently, employees process work differently. Too often, professional environments are designed with an unspoken assumption of “neurotypical” preferences, from brainstorming in noisy open spaces, to communication that favors quick verbal responses and linear thinkers, to reward systems that privilege extroversion.

The result? Talent is overlooked, innovation is stifled, and teams risk burnout, particularly for neurodivergent employees.

But cognitive diversity is one of the greatest assets an organization can have. By embracing neuroinclusion, we create a workplace where different thinking and communication styles aren’t just tolerated but celebrated.

When we reduce barriers and design with neurodiversity in mind, we unlock the full creative potential of our teams. Research shows that neuroinclusive workplaces see stronger retention, lower absenteeism, and greater innovation. But more importantly, they unlock the full potential of people who might otherwise be sidelined.

It’s estimated that 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent. Workplace surveys typically report neurodivergence at around 12%. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that hire teams with neurodivergent professionals in some roles can be 30% more productive than other teams.

At Pladia, 17% of our team identify as neurodiverse. However, neurodivergent employees often won’t disclose their neurodivergence at work due to stigma or fear of discrimination, so the actual number could be higher, which means we over-index on neurodiversity. It’s one of our greatest strengths.

Connecting inclusion across culture and work

On the surface, Pladia’s Image Recognition and neuroinclusive culture may seem unrelated. One is a product feature, the other a workplace practice. But they stem from the same design ethos. Both deserve systems that adapt to them rather than forcing them to adapt to the system.

For visitors, this means technology that meets them where they are: visual, interactive, multilingual, accessible.

For employees, it means a workplace that values all ways of thinking and communicating.

In both cases, inclusion isn’t an afterthought, it’s the starting point for better design. Whether we’re building technology for cultural audiences or shaping the way we work together internally, our guiding principle is the same.

As we continue to develop tools like Image Recognition, we’re reminded that accessibility and inclusion aren’t optional add-ons. The same is true for workplaces that want to attract and retain diverse talent: neuroinclusion is not just an act of equity, it’s a source of resilience and innovation.

Because when we design for different ways of thinking, processing, and perceiving, we don’t just make space for difference, we create richer, more meaningful experiences for everyone. We see this launch not as the finish line, but as part of a continuous process of learning from our communities, listening to diverse needs, and evolving our design together.

Accessibility and inclusion mean something different for every venue. If you’re open to sharing your objectives, email us at hello@pladia.io. We’d love to learn from your goals and see what new ideas might emerge.