Revolutionising stroke rehabilitation with design and robotics
Bioliberty
- Service Design
- User Research
- UX/UI Design
- Design System
- Design Sprint
Working with Big Motive has been a game-changer for Bioliberty. Their design sprint process was efficient and effective, helping us quickly develop and test a prototype that meets the needs of both clinicians and patients. Big Motive’s expertise in data visualisation and user-focused design provided us with valuable insights that have greatly improved our product. Their collaborative approach ensured that our solution aligns perfectly with our mission to empower stroke patients and support clinicians. We highly recommend Big Motive for their innovative and practical design solutions.
Bioliberty is a health tech startup developing robotic technologies to transform stroke rehabilitation. Its Lifehub system uses advanced soft robotics to help stroke survivors regain hand function, while giving clinicians the tools and insights to support their recovery.
With over 800,000 strokes occurring in the US each year and growing demand for occupational therapy services, there is an increasing need for rehabilitation solutions that extend beyond traditional clinical settings.
Bioliberty aims to address this challenge by combining robotics, biomechanics and digital technology to make rehabilitation more accessible, engaging and effective for both patients and clinicians.
Big Motive partnered with Bioliberty to design and validate the digital experiences supporting its technology, from an accessible patient-facing iPad app to a clinician portal for monitoring progress and managing therapy remotely.
The Problem
Recovering hand function after a stroke requires hours of repetitive practice, often extending beyond scheduled therapy sessions. For patients experiencing reduced dexterity, memory or vision, using rehabilitation technology independently can present significant challenges.
At the same time, clinicians need confidence that new technologies will integrate into existing rehabilitation services without adding unnecessary complexity to their workflows.
Our challenge was to create a connected digital experience that worked for both groups: helping patients practise independently and stay motivated, while giving clinicians the information and control needed to manage rehabilitation effectively.
This meant understanding the needs of stroke survivors, carers and occupational therapists, and considering how the technology could support rehabilitation across both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Our Approach
We began by working closely with Bioliberty to understand the people who would use and support the technology.
Through research and persona development, we explored the needs of stroke survivors, their carers and occupational therapists. We identified the importance of making progress visible, connecting exercises to meaningful personal goals and ensuring technology supported, rather than replaced, the relationship between patients and clinicians.
Designing for accessibility
Our first phase focused on creating an intuitive iPad experience for patients with reduced hand function.
We designed large touch targets, simplified instructions and guided exercises that connected rehabilitation activities to everyday goals, such as opening a door.
Testing with nine stroke survivors and carers helped us refine the experience. Their feedback informed improvements to exercise visuals, emotional check-ins and text input, reducing physical and cognitive demands.
These insights were captured in an accessible design system built around simplicity, clear communication and ease of use.
Putting clinicians at the centre
Building on the patient experience, we facilitated a five-day design sprint with Bioliberty to explore how clinicians could prescribe, manage and monitor rehabilitation using the technology.
The sprint enabled our combined team to rapidly generate ideas, challenge assumptions and develop two connected prototypes:
Guided patient onboarding: An iPad experience helping clinicians introduce the technology, fit the glove and support patients through their first rehabilitation session.
Clinician portal: A digital dashboard providing an overview of patient progress, highlighting potential difficulties and enabling clinicians to adjust glove settings remotely.
A key focus was data visualisation: identifying how rehabilitation data could be presented clearly enough to support clinical decisions while helping patients recognise progress and stay motivated.
We tested the prototypes with five senior US clinicians and rehabilitation leaders, including a hospital CEO.
Their feedback helped us refine the language, improve the clarity of rehabilitation scores and provide clinicians with greater control over the therapy experience.
Outcome
Our collaboration with Bioliberty resulted in two validated digital product concepts, supported by a design system and service blueprint to guide future development.
By combining patient research with a focused clinician design sprint, we developed a connected rehabilitation experience shaped by the needs of the people who would use it.
The patient-facing app was designed to make independent rehabilitation more accessible and motivating, while the clinician portal demonstrated how meaningful data visualisation could support therapy management, streamline workflows and inform clinical decisions.
The design sprint accelerated the process of exploring, prototyping and testing solutions, giving Bioliberty valuable insights and a clearer direction for bringing its rehabilitation technology into clinical practice.
Together, this work established a human-centred foundation for supporting stroke survivors beyond traditional therapy sessions, while empowering clinicians with the tools and information to guide their recovery.
