Rare Birds’ mission is to design clothing adapted to the neurodivergent community. 

In an effort to create this next generation of sensory-friendly clothes, our fashion design team, led by myself, collaborated with the research charity Autistica to understand the specific needs of this community. We involved autistic individuals and those with other diagnoses under the neurodivergent umbrella in the co-design process. This collaborative approach was instrumental in developing clothing options that prioritise comfort, sensory considerations and individual preferences.

This article explores how we created an autism-friendly product focus group and used autistic participants’ feedback to influence our designs and our recommendations for those looking to deliver their own autism-friendly focus group. 

Getting started: our initial research 

Our team started its research journey with an intense six-month period of desk research and a literature review, as well as expert interviews. This helped us understand the main issues associated with clothing amongst autistic individuals and common coping solutions. 

After this stage, we were keen to deepen our understanding of autistic people’s clothing needs. We developed an in-depth questionnaire using the tool Typeform. The format and wording of the questionnaire were carefully reviewed by the team of neurodiversity experts at Autistica to ensure its suitability for our audience. It was later shared with the Autistica broader network, which allowed us to gather hundreds of answers. 

The questionnaire helped us understand key considerations for autistic people when choosing and buying clothes and provided invaluable input to our design brief. We found Typeform to be a very user-friendly tool for autistic people, with participants answering questions by selecting visuals or text-based responses. 

Running an autism-friendly focus group

After developing the first prototypes for our clothing range, we wanted to gather feedback from the neurodivergent community. We organised a focus group, bringing together 12 neurodivergent adults, who were mostly on the autism spectrum or had other diagnoses under the neurodivergent umbrella, of various ages and genders to discuss a range of topics, including fabric preferences, colours, garment details, shopping experiences and home/wellbeing items. 

Ensuring the comfort and wellbeing of our participants was a top priority throughout the focus group. Our team received a briefing on reducing sensory overload and implementing strategies to support autistic participants throughout the session.

To help the participants to prepare for the session and alleviate their anxieties, we sent detailed instructions and guidance ahead of time, including maps with photos, transportation routes and a mock-up image of the room layout. We provided a brief outline of the day, emphasising its informal and relaxed nature.

To minimise potential stressors, we carefully selected a quiet, bright and open area for the session. Adjacent to the main area, we designated a separate quiet zone for individuals needing a calm space, equipped with sensory and fidget toys. Our nine feedback stations were thoughtfully spread out, allowing individuals to have their own space to review boards and provide comments. Comfortable sofas and chairs were also available away from the main stations, as well as refreshments.

Our key findings

Given the varied nature of autistic people’s needs, preferences and experiences, it’s unsurprising that we noticed significant variations among the participants’ clothing preferences. These included colour choices, specific fits and fabric textures, highlighting the importance of offering diverse options to cater to individual preferences and sensory sensitivities. 

However, we did also observe consistency in certain aspects of participants’ feedback. The significance of labels and seams stood out as a common concern, underscoring the need for more comfortable and sensory-friendly design elements. 

Our autistic-led focus group proved to be an exceptional partner in our research, demonstrating high levels of engagement and providing thorough insights. Each autistic individual’s active participation and valuable perspective greatly enriched our understanding of their unique needs, ensuring that our design process was truly inclusive and representative of their experiences.

Our recommendations for running an autism-friendly product focus group

Based on our experiences, we recommend the following steps to make sure your focus group is supportive of autistic participants’ needs. 

Be creative in your research approach 

Recognising the diverse preferences of our participants in expressing themselves, we employed a multi-modal approach to extract feedback during the focus group. We facilitated various channels of communication, including verbal discussions, visual aids, touch-based materials, written feedback, and both one-on-one and group conversations. By offering these diverse methods, we ensured that each individual had the opportunity to convey their thoughts and experiences in a manner that suited their unique communication style and comfort level. 

Do not overlook the value of one-to-one discussion

One aspect of the focus group that held significant value for me was the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversations with the participants after the group session. Participants fed back afterwards that they felt at their most relaxed during these individual interactions, and that we had created an environment conducive to discussing their specific needs, sharing their personal experiences and expressing their wish lists for sensory-friendly garments. These intimate conversations allowed for deeper insights and a more personalised understanding of each participant's unique requirements, ultimately guiding our design process towards creating products that truly catered to their sensory preferences and desires.

Good research takes time 

Autistic individuals may process information differently or require additional processing time to articulate their thoughts effectively. To accommodate this, it is essential to relax the agenda and allow for a more flexible approach during data collection sessions. 

In our focus group, we adopted a relaxed schedule with ample time and emphasised that there were no right or wrong answers. We took a gradual approach, gently easing participants into the focus group environment to promote their overall comfort and wellbeing.

By adopting a relaxed agenda, researchers can create a comfortable environment that encourages open communication and enables participants to express their perspectives without feeling rushed. By giving ample time and space for meaningful engagement, the research process becomes more inclusive, fostering a collaborative and empowering experience for autistic and other neurodivergent individuals.