I am a dyslexic author — mildly so perhaps — and in my time at school such things were not diagnosed. But I recognise it in my thinking style and that it runs in the family.
It was only through the experience of this being recognised by our primary school, and then exploring all the ways we can work with and around the emphasis on text-based knowledge representation, that I have learned about myself and the many others who share my thinking style. I feel its strengths and know well, and sometimes painfully, its weaknesses.
One reason why hypertext attracts me, and why working with media, art, and design is of importance in my work, is that I use these devices intensively in my creative work — where text is hard won. Poetry is an exception. Dialogue is good, but the written word, visually on the page, is a complete blur.
Wiki should be tolerant of many cognitive styles, and I should no more demand that all texts should be presented in the way that my dyslexic brain is happy with than another author should expect me to read their way. But...
At the same time, we have a need for visual design consistency. We need to agree on a compromise, so that moving from one space to another is not visually “jarring.” We need to reduce dissonance while browsing extensive hypertexts. This is what design is for.
So the question remains: > Question: How to agree on a design that accepts a diversity of thinking styles?