Think different with dyslexic thinking
Dyslexia is getting a rebrand as only 3% of people currently see it as anything other than a hindrance!
“My dyslexia has shaped Virgin right from the very beginning and imagination has been key to many of its successes. It helped me think big but keep the messages simple.”
- Richard Brandson
Think Different is a classic tagline associated with the famous dyslexic Steve Jobs. He knew, that he sees things differently (many dyslexic people don’t realise this until much later in life) so this line clearly resonated with what he wanted to project to the world and knew that a certain group of people would particularly resonate with this idea. 1 in 5 people globally are likely to be dyslexic.
Flipping the narrative by focusing on the positives
Dyslexia is well associated with spelling errors. We used to joke that ‘if a designer couldn’t spell, that they are likely to be a great designer’ to encourage our account managers to proofread anything that goes out and never blame a designer for typos. Dyslexic or not, a designer’s job is to craft how the type looks, not worry about what it says!
The narrative is changing to focus on what Dyslexics are good at:
(At this stage it is worth pointing out that I am dyslexic so I will flip between ‘they’ and ‘we’ and likely there will be grammatical errors to forgive!)
They simplify the complex
As dyslexic people often get overwhelmed by large amounts of information they are constantly trying to simplify messages and have an exceptional ability to do so.
Reasoning - understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities & making decisions
Dyslexic people can see things clearly in their mind and can often spot patterns others can’t see due to their non-linear thinking. People don’t consider dyslexic people as having a good eye for detail due to the spelling issue but they are extremely good at details apart from spelling. The spelling comes from the difficulty in turning letters into sounds. This pattern spotting is extremely useful in looking at research but also GCHQ actively hire dyslexic (and other neurodiverse people) for their ability to spot patterns or things out of the ordinary.
Storytelling / Creating / Visualising / Imagining
Dyslexic people are amazing at non-linear thinking. This is one of the reasons they struggle at school - because the current education system encourages linear thinking - ‘write the intro paragraph first’ - ‘start at the beginning’; these are examples of linear thinking. Dyslexic people see multiple ideas all at once and will piece it together later. Mind maps are a good example of non-linear thinking. This is why dyslexic people are so creative as they see multiple, often, unconnected ideas at once and are able to see patterns in them and fuse them together to create new ideas.
Analytical and often question things
This pattern-spotting and non-linear thinking makes them question many things, much to the annoyance of teachers. I remember constantly not taking maths for “that’s just the way it is” I always want to know why and have it clear in my head.
Big picture thinkers
Seeing the forest through the trees. Thanks to this pattern spotting and analytical thinking, dyslexic people are better at looking at things from a high level.
Great communicators
As dyslexic people are constantly analysing, simplifying and looking at things in a non-linear way (often associated with deep thinking and being slower at school) we know how to frame things in our head when we get it all straight, which makes us great communicators. I am always telling people to explain things like you are telling your 12-year-old child or 90-year-old parent as that is how 1 in 5 people need it presented to them. Not only that the other 4 in 5 really appreciate and benefit from it too.
Connecting - self-awareness, empathising and influencing others
This pattern recognition makes them great at reading people and navigating relationships between them. Our deep and non-linear thinking and (over) analysis makes us able to see things from the other person’s perspective (with enough time). If we are rushed we can get overwhelmed and it can often lead to an impatient reaction.
Passionate & curious
All of the above makes them like a dog with a bone on tasks. They lose themselves in it, think about it deeply, sometimes obsessively, but also produce the most amazing outcomes as a result.
So if you know someone who is, or suspect is dyslexic:
Give them more time on a task
Make sure instructions are clear and simple but don’t overload them
Don’t leave gaps*
Excuse typos and peer review their work
*For example - Do X Y & Z but Z will follow later - this is like giving them a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing. It will often lead them to simply abandon a task until Z is in place - non-linear thinking means they need all the facts in place before making a decision.
Famous dyslexic people
Albert Einstein
Steve Jobs
Walt Disney
Pablo Picasso
Steven Spielberg
Richard Branson
John F Kennedy
John Lennon
Nick Jones, Soho House Founder
If you know or suspect someone is dyslexic then you can find out more of the positives and difficulties associated with it at Made by dyslexia, who are leading the charge on changing the narrative around dyslexia. Remember, you (or they) are in good company (see the above list).
It is useful to note that many other neuro diversities like ADHD, Autism, OCD, often share many traits. Dyslexia is the most common neurodiversity but many dyslexics also have other neurodiversities as well. It is really useful to know what you have so you know what your strengths and weaknesses are to help you through life.
40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic and 50% of juvenile delinquents are dyslexic so finding out early makes all the difference in someone’s life.
