ADHD: A DesignOps Superpower
Summary
After speaking with several colleagues in the DesignOps space, Jessica noticed a trend. Many of them, like herself, had ADHD. Another Observation: DesignOps is a field where those with ADHD can thrive. People with ADHD are often best suited to jobs that are purposeful, fast-paced, allow autonomy and involve lots of variety (as well as risk taking). The characteristics of empathy, energy, passion, and hyper focus under pressure which come with ADHD, make ADHD a DesignOps superpower. Don’t have ADHD? Come learn more about how to work well with some of your colleagues who do! Takeaways An understanding of the types of skills and personality traits that are beneficial in a DesignOps role. How to encourage neurodiverse hiring practices. How to inspire and empower individuals to consider a career in Design Operations.
Key Insights
-
•
ADHD often goes undiagnosed in women because symptoms present differently than in men, such as being seen as chatty or forgetful rather than hyperactive.
-
•
Approximately 7% of adults worldwide have diagnosed symptomatic ADHD, implying multiple neurodivergent individuals likely exist in any moderately sized design team.
-
•
The metaphor by Dr. Edward Hallowell compares ADHD to a race car engine with bicycle brakes, implying great power but challenges in regulation.
-
•
Traits that make Jess suited for design operations overlap with her ADHD characteristics, including managing ambiguity and dynamic environments.
-
•
ADHD individuals can be highly organized as a learned strategy to combat procrastination and memory challenges.
-
•
Hyperfocus allows people with ADHD to intensely concentrate on activities they find interesting, sometimes losing hours without noticing.
-
•
Clear time frames and explicit, constructive feedback significantly improve work effectiveness for ADHD individuals.
-
•
Breaking complex tasks into small, manageable chunks helps maintain motivation and access dopamine rewards from progress.
-
•
Neurodivergent individuals in a team improve inclusive design by uncovering subtle challenges others might miss.
-
•
Discussing personal work needs openly with teams, even without disclosing diagnoses, fosters empathy and better collaboration.
Notable Quotes
"I’m ADHD. I’ve never spoken so publicly about this before."
"In women, ADHD can sometimes just be seen as being chatty or forgetful or clumsy, as opposed to restless and disruptive."
"Having ADHD is like having a race car engine for a brain but with the brakes of a bicycle."
"Design Ops calls for someone who’s able to remain calm in ambiguous and changing environments, which surprisingly fits ADHD traits well."
"ADHD isn’t actually a deficit of attention, but instead trouble regulating it."
"If a task is labeled urgent it immediately sets my brain off into fight mode and I won’t be able to think about anything else."
"The best advice I ever received from a colleague was to find something in every project that interests you."
"Everyone may have different energy levels depending on the time of day, medication can also affect this."
"The most important thing you can do as a colleague, boss, or friend is ask what helps you work better."
"If a goal isn’t met it’s not all down to you; it’s a team effort and often influenced by many external factors."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Most of our team members held term positions, and in 2020 we experienced a mandatory turnover of nearly our entire staff, creating risk of knowledge loss."
Sean Baker Sara RomanoskiWeaving Knowledge Management into the Fabric of Our Design Practice
September 11, 2025
"Getting partners involved in research may mean accepting some imperfect interviews."
James Wieselman SchulmanResearch is a team sport: advancing the work when everyone does the research
March 11, 2026
"Design is a poorly designed word. It’s tough because it’s noun and verb and everything in between."
John MaedaMaking Sense of Enterprise UX
June 9, 2016
"We had to stop and ask, should AI be used for this problem space at all?"
Joy KendiMwitiDeciding when to automate: Integrating AI in high-stakes systems
June 9, 2026
"That seven-foot-wide diagram was our product, not just the cleaned-up UI screens—this artifact triggered a whole new conversation."
Uday GajendarThe Wicked Craft of Enterprise UX
May 13, 2015
"Every group has their own vocabulary that signals belonging, but jargon can become a barrier to understanding."
Joshua GravesWe Need To Talk: Managing Ludicrous Requests at Work (Part 3 of 3)
May 12, 2025
"Abductive thinking, or what if thinking, is a core capability designers bring to defining what to build and why."
Greg PetroffEverything is About to Change: Software as Material
June 8, 2016
"Autonomy means having confidence to make choices and affect ways of working."
Niko LaitinenAdaptable Org Design for Resilient Times
June 10, 2021
"You need to meet your leaders where they are on their maturity curve to be effective."
Peter MerholzThe Trials and Tribulations of Directors of UX
July 13, 2023
