Sensory touchpoint: a desk for the neurodiverse worker

As organisations have woken up the commercial potential of supporting a neurodiverse workforce, so the workplace sector has responded with a range of innovations designed for those with cognitive differences.

Offices today feature sensory zones, privacy pods, biophilic features, acoustic panels and adjustable lighting to make it easier for employees on the spectrum to concentrate, self-regulate and maintain focus. But one aspect of the workplace that has largely been resistant to neuroinclusive ways of working is the work desk itself.

Could the desk accommodate the different sensory and behavioural needs of neurodiverse employees without prescribing or labelling how someone should work? That was the question asked by product design student Mayank Patole, who has developed a prototype desk for neurodiverse workers as part of his Masters programme at the Royal College of Art in London.

Tactile interaction

The desk, entitled Trace, integrates subtle opportunities for movement and tactile interaction within the workspace for those who struggle to focus.

Trace by Mayank Patole, Royal College of Art

Corners of the desk can be rotated and a metal sphere pushed by fingers along a grooved channel. An upholstered underside can be stroked and a tactile paperweight rolled and rotated.

Mayank Patole describes these interactions as ‘optional peripheral and designed to coexist with focused work rather than distract from it.’ His project makes inclusive design part of everyday workplace furniture rather than treating it as specialised equipment.

The Trace neuroinclusive work desk was launched as part of the Royal College of Art’s 2026 summer show.

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