Our Story

"The product I needed simply didn't exist."

When James, our founder, first received his ADHD diagnosis at 31, the revelation answered lifelong questions about his ADHD symptoms but revealed a gap in available solutions. As he explored his neurodivergent traits, James became increasingly aware of his intense sensitivity to visual stimuli—a common experience for many with an ADHD brain. As a lifelong software developer, he knows that the most challenging part of a problem is identifying it in the first place.

On the morning of 16th November 2021, James sent a video message. James, gesturing with his hands to create makeshift blinders beside his eyes, explained his discovery regarding how to improve focus with ADHD:

"I have ADHD and mild autism, which means I'm very, very super sensitive to light and distraction," he explained. "Light really hurts me a lot outside without sunglasses, but for focus with ADHD, I really wish I just had blinders here on my glasses. They just don't exist."

He was right.

In that spontaneous message, James demonstrated how manually blocking his peripheral vision created an immediate difference: "When I do that with my eyes, it immediately gets better. It's so crazy, the difference it makes for me. It takes away a lot of the pain and lets me focus."

"We kept coming back to this idea of visual debris," James recalls. "Safety glasses block physical debris - dust, particles, hazards. But what about the constant visual noise that exhausts neurodivergent minds? Same concept, different debris."

Despite searching extensively, he found nothing suitable. That moment of frustration sparked what would become Goghini (goh-HEE-nee) —named after Vincent van Gogh, who many experts now believe exhibited traits of neurodivergence throughout his life.

From Personal Need to Public Mission: Developing Neurodivergent Tools

This gap in the market reflected a broader issue: the medical and commercial worlds weren't addressing the actual needs of neurodivergent individuals, particularly when it came to practical ADHD management tools.

This experience reflected a deeper frustration with traditional systems. As James later expressed: "Going through the medical system made me, as an individual, feel very abandoned. I know traditional models make sense to a degree, but it also feels so much to me like every human is an exception. If I feel that way, I'm sure other people often do as well."

James and his co-founders shared a vision beyond product development. While James brought firsthand experience of neurodivergence, his co-founder brought a complementary perspective that recognised his ADHD as an integral part of who he is, not a disorder to be eliminated. Understanding ADHD concepts was key.

The founding team recognised how the world appears differently through different cognitive lenses. What's traditionally labelled as 'attention deficit' is actually divergent attention —a different way of allocating focus that can be incredibly powerful in the proper context. This other perspective isn't a weakness; it's untapped potential, a core part of understanding ADHD.

This insight became Goghini's founding principle: neurodiversity represents natural variation in human brains, which should be understood, accommodated, and celebrated. We see different brain styles, not disorders.

The Journey of Creating Focus Frames

Our flagship product (Focus Frames™) emerged from a simple yet powerful insight: peripheral vision blockers could help neurodivergent minds focus, but as a tool to manage ADHD, it needed to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

"From the beginning, we were adamant about one thing," James explains. "These couldn't look like medical devices. They needed to be something people would be proud to wear."

This vision led us to partner with an accomplished eyewear designer who had previously worked with top fashion houses. With their expertise, we began transforming a concept into reality.

The development journey involved:

  • Months of research into peripheral vision blocking designs and techniques

  • Multiple rounds of prototyping to balance aesthetics with functionality

  • Researching, drafting and submitting a patent for our unique approach

Most importantly, we tested extensively. First, we confirmed with James's immediate circle that he wasn't alone in experiencing benefits, then engaged a broader group of testers who provided invaluable feedback on these neurodivergent tools.

Building a Brand That Understands

Goghini isn't just about products—it's about creating a space where neurodivergent individuals feel genuinely understood. We want to help create and find the best tools to support ADHD.

Our approach is guided by three fundamental principles:

  1. Neurodivergence is not weakness: We reject deficit-based language, focusing instead on the unique abilities and perspectives that neurodivergent thinking brings.

  2. Elegant functionality: Our products merge beautiful aesthetics with genuine utility, because we believe support tools shouldn't require compromising on style.

  3. Ongoing innovation: We view our current offerings as just the beginning, with an ambitious roadmap for developing new tools that address various neurodivergent needs.

Join Our Community of Change-Makers

Goghini is more than a brand—it's a community of individuals committed to celebrating neurodiversity and working to evolve how the world views it

We invite you to join this movement by:

  • Sharing your experiences: Your unique perspective helps us develop better products and resources

  • Participating in research: Our ongoing studies help advance understanding of neurodivergent needs

  • Spreading the word: Every conversation about neurodiversity as a strength helps shift the narrative

You wouldn't try to tune a guitar while wearing oven mitts. So why do we expect neurodivergent minds to thrive in environments designed without considering their unique wiring? Together, we can create spaces and tools that work with different cognitive styles, rather than against them, offering practical strategies for individuals with ADHD.

Build the future with us

We envision a world where neurodivergent individuals not only survive, but thrive. A world where schools and workplaces are designed for cognitive diversity. A world where different ways of thinking aren't just accommodated but actively sought out.

This future isn't inevitable. It requires conscious effort and advocacy. At Goghini, we're committed to being at the forefront of this change, creating products, resources, and spaces that help bring this vision to life.

Together, we're rewriting the story of neurodiversity, one person, one experience, one perspective at a time. Thank you for being part of this journey.