Leap

Hemispatial neglect, or HSN, is a common cognitive impairment following a stroke that affects an individual’s ability to perceive and respond to stimuli on one side of their environment.

Difficulty perceiving stimuli on the neglected side (visual, auditory, tactile), neglect of personal space (ignoring the left side of the body), difficulty with spatial orientation (getting lost, bumping into objects), problems with reading and writing (omitting the left side of words or lines), motor neglect (difficulty using left limbs), anosognosia (lack of awareness of the condition)

Each of these symptoms presents a complex set of design challenges, requiring thoughtful and innovative solutions to address the unique struggles of individuals living with HSN. Designing for this group demands deep empathy and an understanding of their needs. However, it also offered a tremendous opportunity for my personal growth as a designer—if I can create effective solutions for these challenges, I gain the skills and insight to design for a wide range of users, ultimately making me a more adaptable and inclusive designer.

Below is a sketch representation of what an individual with HSN might experience in their day-to-day life.

In the first phase of our workflow, we concentrated entirely on user research and competitive analysis. Our research findings highlighted critical shortcomings in traditional rehabilitation methods for stroke patients with hemispatial neglect, which often fail to address their unique spatial and cognitive challenges:

Our competitive analysis further contextualized these challenges by examining the market landscape. We analyzed three key competitors: Exergames, Neuro Rehab VR, and Immersive Rehab. Each demonstrated that virtual environments can effectively increase patients’ sense of autonomy and engagement with therapy, validating the core functionality of our prototype.

However, we identified two significant gaps in the competitive space:

Competitors do not provide sufficient context within their apps about how games relate to recovery goals. This forces therapists to repeatedly explain the connection, which contributes to patients’ low PPA.

Competitors fail to offer patients clear, in-app visualizations of their progress over time. This places the responsibility solely on therapists to communicate progress, often contributing to low patient adherence. When patients lack personal insight into their recovery trajectory, their motivation to continue therapy diminishes.