Design Philosophy from the ADHD Brains of Wonderland 222

I have ADHD, and I’m a planner designer. Those two things might seem at odds, but they are the core of our work and design. The planner I have always searched for wasn’t a luxury; it was a necessity.

The Problem with Rigid Planners

I often see planners advertised as being "for ADHD" because they have every section blocked out and labeled: "Goals," "Top Priorities," "Mood Tracker," "To-Do List." They're printed in the darkest black ink, creating a sense of permanence and forced structure. Or the planner includes 50 pages of instructions on how to use a complex system. For a neurotypical mind, this might look and sound like the ultimate tool for organization. But if you have ADHD, you’ve probably felt it, too... that little internal shudder when you see rigid, pre-labeled pages and endless instructions. It can feel like being handed a rulebook for a brain that works best without one.

I can't help but ponder: why are these planners marketed as "ADHD-friendly" so rigid?

The Need for a Different Approach

For many of us, our brains are not rigid; they crave novelty and change. Our planning needs can shift dramatically from one day to the next. One week, I might need to track every hour to stay on task; the next, I might need to ignore the clock entirely and just get into a flow state. The last thing I need is a planner that locks me into a system that worked for someone else, or tells me exactly where to put my budgeting, moods, and priorities. Rigid layouts and blocked sections make us feel like we have to go search for an entirely new planner when our planning needs change. Dark labels, rigid structure, and pages of instructions become visual clutter and take up valuable writing real estate that could be used for completely different purposes. Also when you miss marking these sections, they become that nagging reminder that you're not following the rules, even though your brain works differently.

It feels like planners designed this way assume we will just "try harder" to fit into a neurotypical mold. But as research from various sources points out, people with ADHD don't thrive on forced repetition and discipline; we thrive on momentum and interest. Rigid systems will break the moment life throws us a curve ball, leading to that all-too-familiar feeling of failure. It can make you want to abandon the planner entirely.

Conversely, a layout with extremely minimal structure or lines printed too lightly can be just as overwhelming as one that's overly rigid. Words and numbers can feel like they are just floating in a sea of white space. Our brains need something to anchor to. That's why our philosophy is to provide light structure that is there if you need it, but is also easy to ignore and write over. The pages are not hard labeled with "moods" or "top priorities." The subtle, lightly printed grids and unlabeled/generally labeled sections are a framework, not a rulebook. We wanted our planners to say, "Here's a space for a plan, but you get to decide what that plan is today."

Maybe it’s a generalization to say every ADHD person needs this flexibility. But in my experience, the constant need to change, to get new ideas out, and to avoid the "guilt" of a missed or abandoned page is very real. The ability to just pick up where you left off without seeing a reminder of what you didn't do or having the ability to customize your layouts and planning style on the fly, is freeing.

A Tool That Works With You

At the end of the day, a planner should be a tool that works with your adhd brain, not against it. It should adapt to you, not the other way around. That means having a planner that gives you the freedom to decide what you track or how much space you need for your goals or if you even need them listed every day then that's the kind of adhd planner that will work for you!

Happy Planning!

Liisa Roberts
Wonderland 222 Co-Owner