Learning from the information workspace of an information professional with dyslexia and ADHD

Dyslexia is one of the least understood so-called “learning disabilities” (LD), characterizing problems with text, organization, working memory, attention, and mental sequencing. Perhaps surprisingly, other research shows that dyslexia and LD may include strengths. For example, astronomers identified with dyslexia were able to spot patterns in imagery that were less visible to their non-dyslexic counterparts. The purpose of this investigation was to describe the information practices and spaces used by an information professional identified as dyslexic, focusing on their successful strategies within an office workspace context. The participant 1) made extensive use of non-traditional workspaces that contained or had access to specific kinds of “noise” that served as “intentional distractions” to paradoxically increase focus, 2) made extensive use of ad doc organizational “clutter” on horizontal surfaces, and 3) extended their ad hoc organization into their computer workspace by relying more on search queries rather than hierarchical file systems. The paper concludes with recommendations for new kinds of information systems that may assist office workers who share this particular cognitive phenotype.