海角视频

As environments become denser, more activated and more complex, predictability for users can be a core condition of access, trust and wellbeing.

How spaces feel for the people using them can no longer be considered as a 鈥榥ice-to-have鈥�, but a critical marker of their success. Sensory maps 鈥� a pre鈥憊isit or on鈥憇ite information tool that lists sensory stimuli 鈥� help people understand how a space will feel, not just how it looks, before they arrive. A new white paper from 海角视频 investigates how these maps can provide people with clear, sensory information early on so they can plan, feel in control and have a more positive experience of the places they visit.

Sensory maps can be understood as a form of infrastructure that helps organisations anticipate risk, govern experience and maintain their social licence to operate 鈥� especially in complex, high鈥慽mpact settings. This insight explores how inclusive design in general, and sensory maps in particular, should be understood as critical infrastructure for participation, productivity and trust.

Why predictability is becoming a core condition of access

As environments become denser and more operationally complex, how a space feels becomes as important as how it performs. The new white paper has explored how sensory maps can be designed, communicated and embedded in projects to support the user experience in navigating the growing complexity, density and sensory volatility of environments within the cultural sector. It also explores the potential of moving into more sectors such as transport, entertainment, education and sport.

The structure and format of sensory maps inevitably differ for different venues and spaces, but in broad strokes it is a pre-visit or on-site resource that clearly highlights sensory conditions such as noise, light, crowds and temperature. Far from being an 鈥榚xtra鈥� or 鈥榥ice-to-have鈥�, sensory maps that provide increased degrees of predictability for users are a condition of access, trust, wellbeing and participation.

Sensory overload 鈥� the type that occurs when the brain is unable to effectively filter and process sensory input 鈥� can lead to heightened anxiety. For operators, this has a direct implication: individuals are significantly more likely to avoid spaces where those conditions are uncertain or overwhelming.

海角视频鈥檚 research showed that 75% of participants would find it helpful to have access to sensory maps, while 84% of participants have experienced sensory overload or sensory underload. The respondents鈥� lived experience indicates that there is a mismatch between desire for sensory maps and their use in everyday environments 鈥� only 10% had actually used one before, despite the research showing the desire for them. Additionally, although maps aren鈥檛 embedded widely, all types of people could find them useful.

Rebecca Adda is Inclusive Environments consultant at 海角视频.  She said, 鈥淎 good sensory map provides a sense of calm and psychological safety. It removes barriers for neurodivergent people who might be prone to sensory overload by giving them the information they need upfront.

鈥淭hat frees up cognitive load so they can participate more equitably 鈥� and in practice, it increases dwell time and return rates because people have a more enjoyable, less anxiety鈥慽nducing experience.鈥�

Who needs sensory maps 鈥� and where are the gaps?

Many complex venues and transport hubs still feel unpredictable and overwhelming, particularly for neurodivergent users.

Sensory maps are particularly important for people whose health, safety or wellbeing can be affected by unpredictable sensory conditions. While some people desire predictability and control, for others it is the access requirement that can be the difference between using a space 鈥� or avoiding it entirely. This moves a fairly simple 鈥榗omfort鈥� idea for an individual user to one of control, calm and psychological safety for all.

Sensory maps, as part of an inclusive design approach, can result in reduced stress and anxiety. This can mean a better overall visitor experience, increased dwell time and likely repeat visits. Of particular note is the opportunity to discover and experience environments and spaces that would otherwise be inaccessible for some users. Being able to attract new customers and visitors and deliver more positive experiences is a key business benefit for operators.

Currently, museums and galleries are venues that currently use sensory maps the most. But are other spaces missing an opportunity?

Rebecca said, 鈥淧rimary use at the moment is within museums. But I see future use within spaces like airports, stadia and public transport 鈥� these are environments that often provoke stress or anxiety in people because of the lack of predictability, need for high degrees of navigation and likely high degree of noise, crowds and changes in the sensory stimuli.鈥�

This is something that can 鈥� and should 鈥� happen at the start of a project. Ben Channon is head of Inclusive Environments at 海角视频. He said, 鈥淚f we sat down at the start and asked a client, 鈥榃hat does incredible look like for you on this project?鈥�, we would build a sensory mapping process into most briefs 鈥� particularly for currently underrepresented types of project like aviation, big transport hubs and sports stadia, which are absolutely perfect for it.鈥�

Beyond compliance: predictability, choice and trust

Predictability and choice are core to how people evaluate an experience; sensory maps help people to anticipate and manage this. Sensory maps are a tool to help reduce preventable, unnecessary anxiety and the avoidance of a venue or space altogether. Inclusion of sensory maps in particular 鈥� and inclusive design as a whole 鈥� moves operators beyond compliance and towards these considerations as a form of and governance.

Expanding the use of sensory maps is recommended in standard. PAS6463 positions neurodiversity consideration as a design responsibility, not a preference. Sensory mapping is one tool to get us there.

For operators, the enhanced predictability created by these maps can enable smoother people flow, as well as supporting brand promises around care, safety and inclusion. When understood as a strategic tool for reducing risk and increasing trust in complex environments, sensory maps become a piece of critical infrastructure for access, trust and participation.

How sensory mapping can work in practice

There is no single uniform or standardised way of delivering sensory maps, or of how they should look. Often it is aligned with a venue鈥檚 existing wayfinding, tone of voice and customer information, so it feels familiar and usable to everyone, rather than a separate resource.

Rebecca Adda is clear that the success of 鈥榞ood鈥� sensory maps lies in working with people with lived experience. She said, 鈥淲hat is key is understanding the context 鈥� and the experiences of people. Often, we aren鈥檛 talking about designing a building or environment from scratch, so it is about understanding how the building is currently experienced by neurodivergent users.鈥�

What is key is understanding the context 鈥� and the experiences of people.

Rebecca Adda, inclusive environments consultant, 海角视频.

Effective sensory maps are about co鈥慸esigning and testing with people with lived experience, so the content reflects real triggers, stress points and coping strategies.

It is also important to be clear about why sensory maps are not yet widely adopted. They are sometimes misunderstood as niche, which can lead to design choices that unintentionally narrow the audience (for example, overly childlike graphics, emojis or a tone that feels infantilising).

Rebecca said, 鈥淭his often happens when sensory maps are designed with more specific audiences in mind, rather than a wide range of neurodivergent people. The resulting design can sometimes become overly prescriptive, creating an unintentional gap and possibly discouraging people from using sensory maps, who may otherwise benefit from them.鈥�

Sensory maps are still a relatively new consideration. But as designing inclusive environments becomes the norm, operators who provide them are seizing an opportunity to lead by example, building trust and confidence with a wider range of users.

Making inclusion real in day鈥憈o鈥慸ay operations

Sensory mapping can be seen as a marker of serious, human鈥慶entred advocacy. For operators who want spaces that are usable, accessible and enjoyable, sensory maps aren鈥檛 only an inclusive design choice. They are critical infrastructure for participation, productivity and trust.

Rebecca said, 鈥淭here is an ideal future where sensory maps sit alongside quiet spaces, signage and other resources 鈥� clearly signposted and not hidden away 鈥� so there is a whole coherent offer, without siloes. They can be part of a suite of connected resources to help support a range of users.鈥�

There is an ideal future where sensory maps sit alongside quiet spaces, signage and other resources.

Rebecca Adda, inclusive environments consultant, 海角视频.

For our clients, this matters because when people can鈥檛 predict what a venue will feel like, they鈥檙e more likely to avoid it altogether. The impact shows up not only in wellbeing and inclusion, but in trust, reputation and repeat visitation. 海角视频鈥檚 Inclusive Environments team 鈥� across sectors and project types 鈥� understand the diverse needs, value and concerns of the people who use the built environment. Our work helps both these users and the operators of the built environment spaces we all use, access and enjoy.

Ben Channon said, 鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about shaping conversations with our clients so that the end user is considered from the start, not only at the close.鈥�

鈥淪ensory maps need to be part of a considered strategy. If you think about them from the outset rather than as a separate add鈥憃n at the end, you can take a more powerful, coherent approach to the whole user experience.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 encouraged by the shift over the last few years. Just like sustainability, we shouldn鈥檛 consider these elements as nice to have 鈥� they are central to the final success of a venue, space or environment. Ultimately, it is about prioritising users, and their experience.鈥�

The normalisation of sensory information as standard visitor information is the next step in making inclusion real in day鈥憈o鈥慸ay operations. The creation and inclusion of sensory maps is one example of design choices that consider all users 鈥� moving from a special provision to integrated, visible, everyday resources.

As places get busier, denser and more complex, how a space feels becomes a decisive factor in whether people can access and use it. Ben said, 鈥淲hen you dig down into it, there is a relevance to almost every user group, every building and every project type. When you design spaces that look at the detail like this, everybody benefits.鈥�

To learn more about creating places that benefit everybody鈥檚 experience and wellbeing, contact 海角视频鈥檚 inclusive environments team.

Methodology of 鈥淪ensory Mapping: The design and use of sensory maps for the built environment鈥�(海角视频, 2026).

The study used a mixed-methods approach to gain multiple perspectives. The primary methods were a literature review, co-design workshops and a survey.

A total of 293 perspectives were captured (13 via workshops, 280 via online survey). The research has incorporated global perspectives, from people with a variety of neuro-types and a wide range of ages (from 18 to 65+). 50.7% of survey participants identified as being neurodivergent (ND) , 32.5% were not neurodivergent and 16.8% were unsure. Neuro-types identified in the survey included ADHD, ASD, learning disabilities/differences (dyslexia, dyscalculia and/or dysgraphia), dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette syndrome, vestibular/ balance conditions, neurodegenerative conditions (e.g. dementia, Parkinson鈥檚 disease), and migraines.

For more details, see pages 8 and 9 of the white paper.