معرفی
Katie Gaudion is a Design Researcher at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design within the School of Design at the Royal College of Art. With over 14 years of experience working with neurodivergent individuals, her research focuses on how design can improve physical environments for autistic adults, particularly those with additional learning difficulties.
Her research interests center on inclusive design practices that celebrate neurodiversity. Gaudion develops tools that connect, communicate and engage with autistic people and their support networks, enabling them to be active participants in the design research process. She encourages designers to collaborate with neurodivergent people, whose unique ideas for innovation can be easily overlooked. Her work has broadened the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design's methods to consider hidden disabilities and neurodiversity for the first time.
Gaudion's publications reveal a consistent focus on creating environments that accommodate sensory needs and cognitive differences across multiple contexts including home environments, workplaces, and healthcare settings. A recurring theme is bridging the empathy gap between neurotypical designers and neurodivergent users, emphasizing strengths-based approaches rather than deficit-focused perspectives.
Gaudion was the first Research Associate to complete a PhD by practice at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. Her doctoral research explored how autistic adults with additional learning difficulties experience their home environment, which has informed her subsequent work across multiple contexts.
