Leap

01 Project overview

As part of an intense Shark Tank-style curriculum, my team and I prototyped a unique 3D VR therapy experience meant to improve the speed and efficacy of recovery for elderly stroke patients with hemispatial neglect.

What I did

I took on the role of Lead 3D Interaction Designer, utilizing Vectary as my primary tool to craft the main features of our product. Additionally, I was the sole video editor for our showcase, highlighting key elements of our project. Collaborating with my team, we successfully executed the project from ideation to completion within an ambitious 5-week timeframe.

Cover image for Leap -- showcasing two minigames in the 3D space

02 The Problem

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.

Common Symptoms

Difficulty perceiving stimuli on the neglected side (visual, auditory, tactile)
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Neglect of personal space (ignoring the left side of the body)
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Difficulty with spatial orientation (getting lost, bumping into objects)
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Problems with reading and writing (omitting the left side of words or lines)
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Motor neglect (difficulty using left limbs)
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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:

Infographic showing 3 critical shortcomings in rehabilitation methods for stroke patients.

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:

Lack of Contextual Explanations

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.

Absence of Progress Tracking

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.

These insights formed the foundation for how we designed our prototype to fill these critical gaps in the market.

03 Goals

Our goal is to create a scalable, immersive solution that not only accelerates recovery but also enhances outcomes and profoundly improves the lives of those living with hemispatial neglect.

To achieve our goal, we must directly tackle the pain points identified during our research. In designing our prototype, the 3D VR therapy experience must incorporate:

A motivation-enhancing system...

...to address perceived patient autonomy (PPA), empowering patients to take an active role in their recovery.

Cost and time efficiency...

...to reduce the financial burden on both patients and providers while shortening clinic visits, enabling healthcare facilities to treat more patients effectively.

A progress-tracking system...

...to improve patient adherence by providing clear, tangible insights into recovery milestones.

04 Design Process: First Iteration

Our design process followed an iterative approach, beginning with the development of a first iteration prototype that laid the groundwork for our core features and user experience.

Garden Environment

For our therapy experience, we chose a calming garden environment, allowing us to shape rehabilitation tools in familiar and realistic ways.

Initial Onboarding

Considering the patients’ average age (60–70) and cognitive challenges, we initially designed an automated, hands-off onboarding system to emphasize independence. Dialogue scrolls automatically, transitioning directly into gameplay.

UI Elements

We incorporated UI features to support navigation and patient engagement:

Notepad

Highlights goals and locations to jog memory.
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Tooltips

Always-available guidance for when patients feel stuck.
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Minimap

A top-right minimap aids spatial awareness, addressing left-side neglect.

Positioned to the non-affected side, with a "save and quit" option for patient comfort.

Connection to current methods for HSN therapy and diagnosis

Our minigames draw inspiration from existing methods used to diagnose and treat hemispatial neglect (HSN). For example, the Baking Tray Test assesses spatial awareness and fine motor skills by asking patients to distribute items evenly on a tray. Similarly, games like Follow the Frog are used to enhance memory and visual scanning. We adapted these principles to a 3D VR environment, making the therapy more engaging and scalable while retaining the core therapeutic objectives.

Baking Tray Test

Assesses spatial awareness and fine motor skills by asking patients to distribute items evenly on a tray.

Follow the Frog

Used to enhance memory and visual scanning.

Minigame 1: Seed Planting

Inspired by the Baking Tray Test, this minigame focuses on fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Patients plant seeds in a grid, progressively increasing in size (e.g., 2x2 to 4x4). Animated cues encourage left-side attention, helping translate in-game progress into real-world improvements.

Minigame 2: Hopper

Based on the Follow the Frog game, this activity enhances memory, visual scanning, and left-side awareness. Patients point to lily pads where a fly lands, with increasing difficulty tailored to user progress.

Screenshot of first prototype for Hopper minigame

04 User Testing

Due to time constraints, testing was conducted with non-target users. While feedback was insightful, we acknowledge limitations in representing the actual needs of stroke patients with HSN.

For user testing, we simulated a VR environment by setting up multiple laptop screens, each representing a different feature of our prototype. Testers moved between these screens to mimic navigation within a VR space. Below are some key feedback points we gathered from this process.

05 Design Process: Second Iteration

We incorporated the feedback above into a second iteration, refining the onboarding process, enhancing UI consistency, and addressing specific usability concerns to better align the prototype with our goals of improving motivation, adherence, and recovery outcomes.

Initial Onboarding

Testing revealed that participants preferred to absorb information at their own pace. We redesigned the tutorial with segmented instructions, navigable via buttons. Bold accents highlight key takeaways, avoiding information overload and fostering comfort.

Minigame 1: Seed Planting

We added context about the game’s therapeutic benefits to increase engagement. Instructions are now segmented with visuals for clarity. The UI was redesigned for consistency and legibility, with a clear call-to-action to plant the reward flower post-minigame.

Minigame 2: Hopper

The game evolved from 2D to an immersive 3D experience, introducing richer assets and enhanced UI. Instruction screens and clear calls-to-action, such as a “Next Step” button, ensure smooth transitions. UI design was optimized for right-to-left usability, accommodating HSN patients’ needs.

06 Results

Although our prototype was developed as part of a five-week project and didn’t ship, we carefully considered how success could be measured if it were implemented in a real-world setting. Key metrics would focus on patient engagement, therapeutic effectiveness, and adherence.

For example, we would track the percentage of therapy sessions completed, improvements in spatial awareness during real-world tasks, and increased interaction with the left side in both VR and daily life. Additionally, we would measure progress tracking usage to assess whether patients felt more motivated by their results, alongside adherence rates to ensure long-term engagement with the system.

From a healthcare perspective, we would monitor the reduction in therapy time per session and the cost savings for patients and providers. Together, these metrics would provide a comprehensive view of the product’s impact on patient outcomes, satisfaction, and the scalability of the solution in addressing hemispatial neglect.

Showcase Video

Below is our showcase video, which I edited to bring together all aspects of our project. By seamlessly integrating my team’s contributions, I crafted a dynamic and immersive representation of our prototype, simulating a real-time user experience in a clear and engaging way.

Leap

01

Project overview

What I did

02

The Problem

03

Goals

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Design Process: First Iteration

04

User Testing

05

Design Process: Second Iteration

06

Results

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What I Learned