Stimpunks is not just a collection of ideas.
It is an emerging design field — a structured way of understanding and shaping environments so that diverse nervous systems can thrive.
The framework begins with lived experience and moves outward toward systems and civilization.
experience↓friction↓pattern↓recipe↓environment↓civilizationEach layer translates knowledge into a different form.
Experience becomes pattern.
Pattern becomes design.
Design becomes environment.
Environment becomes culture.
Why This Is a Field Model
A field model describes how knowledge moves between observation, explanation, and intervention.
Many sciences follow a similar structure.
For example:
| Field | Observation | Pattern | Intervention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | symptoms | disease models | treatment |
| Ecology | ecosystems | ecological dynamics | conservation |
| Architecture | human use | spatial patterns | building design |
Stimpunks applies a similar structure to neurodivergent environments.
| Layer | Role |
|---|---|
| Experiences | observation of lived reality |
| Friction | identifying environmental conflict |
| Patterns | explaining recurring structures |
| Recipes | practical design responses |
| Environments | implemented systems |
This structure transforms lived experience into design knowledge.
Layer 1 — Experience
The system begins with lived neurodivergent experience.
These pages describe the actual dynamics of neurodivergent life.
Examples:
Experience pages reveal signals that something in the environment is misaligned.
Layer 2 — Friction
Friction appears when environments conflict with neurodivergent needs.
This friction is not a personal failure.
It is usually a design problem in the surrounding environment.
Examples include:
- attention fragmentation
- sensory overload
- masking fatigue
- cognitive exhaustion
See:
Layer 3 — Patterns
Patterns describe the recurring structures behind neurodivergent experiences.
They explain why certain forms of friction repeatedly appear.
Examples:
- Pattern 01 — Monotropism
- Pattern 02 — Spiky Profiles
- Pattern 03 — Sensory Load
- Pattern 04 — Processing Time
- Pattern 05 — Deep Attention
- Pattern 06 — Social Energy
- Pattern 07 — Regulation First
- Pattern 08 — Masking Pressure
- Pattern 09 — Environment Fit
- Pattern 10 — Energy Accounting
- Pattern 11 — Burnout Threshold
- Pattern 12 — Energy Recovery
- Pattern 13 — Context Switching Cost
- Pattern 14 — Interest-Driven Learning
- Pattern 15 — Attention Anchors
- Pattern 16 — Cognitive Load Windows
See:
Layer 4 — Recipes
Recipes translate patterns into practical design moves.
They describe how environments can change to support neurodivergent people.
Examples:
- Designing Attention Sanctuaries
- Designing Sensory-Safe Spaces
- Designing Flexible Participation
- Designing Intermittent Collaboration
- Designing Monotropic Workflows
- Designing Predictable Environments
- Designing Regulation Spaces
- Designing Recovery Cycles
See:
Layer 5 — Environments
Recipes combine to form environments.
Examples include:
- Neurodivergent Homes
- Neurodivergent Studios
- Neurodivergent Libraries
- Neurodivergent Workplaces
- Neurodivergent Community Spaces
- Neurodivergent Learning Ecosystems
- Neurodivergent Cities
One experimental example is:
Layer 6 — Civilization
When environments scale, they reshape systems and institutions.
This is the largest scope of the Stimpunks framework.
Examples include:
- Designing a Neurodivergent Civilization
- The Architecture of Neurodivergent Civilization
- The Neurodivergent Civilization Atlas
- The Neurodivergent Commons
- The Neurodivergent Renaissance
- The Future of Neurodivergent Civilization
What This Model Reveals
The Stimpunks framework reveals a crucial insight:
neurodivergent struggleis oftenenvironmental design failureWhen environments change, experiences change.
When experiences change, participation becomes possible.
Continue Exploring
Design
- The Stimpunks Design Method
- The Neurodivergent Design Handbook
- The Neurodivergent Architecture Handbook
