Designing NeuroScape from the ground up

00 — Overview

A pattern of demotivation I couldn't ignore

During my summer psychology internship, I observed a recurring pattern: patients attended therapy once or twice a week, working through the same exercises, while their families waited 3–4 hours at the clinic. The result was predictable — frustration, stagnant progress, and disengagement.

This cycle reinforced itself. Less frequent sessions meant less variety. Less variety meant less motivation. Less motivation meant slower recovery. I designed NeuroScape to break it.

What NeuroScape provides

1. Personalized exercises tailored to each patient's condition — so no two sessions feel the same.
2. Progress tracking with visual dashboards — so patients and caregivers can see growth over time.
3. At-home access — therapy continues between clinic visits, not just during them.
4. Caregiver support tools — family members stay informed and involved in the recovery journey.

01 — Research

Three-phase research to understand the real problem

I started with secondary research to understand the field, moved into a month-long field study, and then conducted semi-structured interviews — collaborating with 3 professors to refine the interview schedule and ensure unbiased, non-leading questions.

Secondary research — what the literature confirmed

A literature review on rehabilitation issues confirmed the problem was systemic, not individual. Three statistics stood out:

Field study — observing 10 patients over a month

I observed 10 patients multiple times per week to gather firsthand insights into their rehabilitation patterns. The data was striking.

Interviews — 6 qualitative sessions

I conducted semi-structured interviews with 4 patients (stroke, mild TBI, and Alzheimer's) and 2 caregivers — exploring pain points, preferences, and feedback on existing tools.

02 — Insights

4 themes that shaped the entire design

After transcription and thematic analysis, four recurring themes emerged — each pointing directly to a design decision.

1. Access barriers. Financial constraints and therapist availability limited how often patients could attend sessions.
2. Return on investment. Patients felt stagnant — they wanted to see measurable progress, not just show up and repeat.
3. Long-term therapy integration. Recovery is a life-long process. Patients needed a way to integrate rehab into daily routines.
4. Caregiver support. Caregivers were deeply involved but had no tools to track or support progress from home.

Competitive analysis — what's missing

Evaluating HeadApp, Lumosity, and CogniFit across 5 dimensions revealed a consistent gap: none offered both personalization and progress tracking for neurological patients specifically.

03 — Design

From sketches to structure

Using the Crazy 8s method, I rapidly explored diverse concepts — mood boards guided the aesthetic direction. Low-fidelity prototypes kept focus on content and flow before committing to any visual direction.

04 — Testing

Two rounds of testing, three significant changes

I ran moderated usability testing with 4 participants (3 patients + 1 caregiver) using mid-fidelity prototypes and a think-aloud protocol across 5 tasks. Their feedback drove targeted revisions before the high-fidelity pass.

What testing revealed — and what changed

Change 1 — Back button + voice input

Before

Back button not visible. No voice input option.

After

Back button made more intuitive. Voice input added for users with fine motor complications.

Change 2 — Difficulty bars + progress indicator

Before

"Difficulty" bars confusing · Progress indicator too small · Bottom nav invisible.

After

Difficulty bars removed · Progress indicator enlarged · Icons per domain for recognition.

Change 3 — Word display + timer distraction

Before

Words looked like buttons · Timer too distracting.

After

Boundaries removed — looks like a list · Timer size reduced.

Round 1 usability testing insights

Five tasks tested across 4 participants using the think-aloud protocol. Testing images below show annotated insights per screen.

05 — Solution

The complete NeuroScape flow

The final high-fidelity design focused on a seamless, intuitive journey for both patients and caregivers — simplifying complex rehab tasks into manageable, engaging steps that fit into daily life.