Meet The Uncanny Whiz, a design studio from Shanghai founded by one neurodivergent designer and one so-called “living creature.” While they claim to be “scattered, inconsistent, and unfocused,” their design work—while diverse in a contemporary way—consistently expresses the creative mindset of those within the spectrum of neurodiversity.

The Uncanny Whiz’s brand aesthetic does indeed feel nonlinear—but that’s what they’re going for. They use contemporary shapes and patterns while playing with modular formats, like having a poster double as a foldable zine. Through their work, the founders introduce how they embrace and integrate their neurodivergent identity into their practice.

“Neurodiversity” as a word has actually been increasingly shared online on Chinese social media. It’s a term that suggests that the human brain comes wired in different ways in focus, memory, and perception. More well-known terms, including ASD, ADHD, and dyslexia, are all members of the neurodiversity family. The Uncanny Whiz believes that these differences are natural—not errors to fix or diseases to cure. Instead of asking individuals to adjust to rigid systems, the neurodiversity view asks systems to adjust to people.

In the Chinese mainland, this idea is finding its own language. On Xiaohongshu and Douyin, many share their self-diagnoses, not to seek sympathy, but rather recognition. They trade notes on what helps them stay afloat: crocheting for focus, bouldering for grounding, routines that turn chaos into rhythm.

Others are turning this awareness into public work. NeuroBridge (脑脑空间) translates global research into infographics and plain language, making the “science of difference” accessible. Qingshan Neuro (青杉 Neuro), founded in 2017 by a creator with autism, has grown from a WeChat account into a platform and network that offers both information and professional support.

Together with The Uncanny Whiz, they all form a map of what’s changing in the online and offline creative community in the Chinese mainland: design studios, media projects, exhibitions, communities, and events reclaiming the way our brains are wired as a creative medium.

Cover image via The Uncanny Whiz.