Motivation in Stroke Recovery
(WIP! Currently in the Exploration Stage!)
This is my graduate thesis - it's currently in-progress. Right now, I am in the research phase, but from January 2026 to March 2026, I will be designing and prototyping! I am designing a wearable and or game-based tracking system that translates a stroke survivor's measurable goals into personally meaningful milestones. The goal is to keep stroke survivors motivated throughout their recovery and help them rebuild their sense of self, all while tracking their quant progress in a casual, noninvasive, and effortless way. I was inspired to pursue this topic because my mom had a stroke when I was in my undergrad. This project is an ode to her!
Timeline
20 weeks,
Fall 2025-Winter 2025
Team
Ann Mulgrew
Tools
Rhino
Figma
Role
Product Designer
Design Researcher
Project Space
People going through a stroke often feel like they aren’t themselves during the recovery process. They feel lost, unmotivated, lonely throughout the recovery process. My thesis explores ways to help survivors feel more engaged and empowered throughout their recovery. I aim to design a product that reduces barriers to rehabilitation by creating something that feels motivating, can be done independently, and supports the improvement of skills.
01 Project Context
WHAT'S A STROKE? HOW DOES A STROKE IMPACT SOMEONE'S LIFE?
A stroke happens when the blood flow to a part of the brain stops. Without that blood flow, brain cells no longer get the oxygen that they need. So how does a stroke impact someone's life? Let’s put things into perspective. Through these illustrations, I explore the many ways a stroke can affect someone’s life. Each drawing personifies the stroke as a little monster who is altering the stroke survivor's daily experiences. Without further ado, here's how a stroke can make someone feel...
02 Research
INTERVIEWS
In addition to secondary research, I’ve done interviews (4 PT/OTs, 3 stroke survivors, 1 caregiver, and 1 medical innovation specialist) and site visits (stroke rehab lab) about the stroke recovery process.
PERSONAS
From those interviews and sifting through community platforms, I developed four personas based on what was heard, observed, etc.
RECOVERY JOURNEY MAP OF A STROKE SURVIVOR
Then I mapped out Maya, David, and Paulina's actions out to better understand how each of these different users affect and interact with one another throughout the entire journey.
03 Synthesis
INSIGHTS
I took time to synthesize all of my findings and notes, and what I discovered about this problem is...
MOTIVATION & SOCIAL SUPPORT ARE THE ENGINES OF RECOVERY
- Motivation makes or breaks the recovery process. Clinicians observe that patients with clear, personally meaningful goals recover more effectively. Whether it’s walking their daughter down the aisle or writing poetry, these goals provide emotional fuel. Without key motivators, progress can stall.
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The people supporting your recovery process also play a huge role in the recovery success (so pretty much this paired with motivation = higher success). When support is conditional or absent, patients may experience emotional and functional setbacks.
So how might we...
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Help stroke survivors identify personally meaningful goals and connect them to motivating rewards that balance intrinsic fulfillment with extrinsic encouragement?
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Empower stroke survivors' loved ones to offer consistent, confidence-boosting support and celebrate progress in meaningful ways to sustain hope and motivation throughout recovery?
A STROKE SURVIVOR'S IDEA OF "SUCCESS" DIFFERS FROM A CLINICIAN'S
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Clinicians often define success as a patient regaining as much ability as possible. From the patient’s point of view, “success” is reclaiming their identity (so adapting to this “new normal” in ways that reflect their “old normal”).
So how might we...
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Help stroke survivors navigate the emotional side of recovery by feeling seen, understood, and less alone, while redefining what “success” means to them?
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Balance measurable clinical goals with personally meaningful markers of progress, fostering a shared understanding of recovery among survivors, clinicians, and caregivers that values physical, speech, and emotional growth?
LIMITED SUPPORT AND VISIBILITY POST-DISCHARGE
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The amount of help that a stroke survivor needs is not supported by insurance, often leaving people let to figure out their recovery journey on their own. Insurance policies make it so patients cannot get all the help that they need. patients & clinicians need more time with each other, insurance does not allow for that (unless you pay a hefty fee per appointment)
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PT/OT/ST are not able to track their patients’ progress once they leave the facility. Patients want to see their progress, especially after leaving the facility, to ensure that what they re doing is actual improving their condition. Patients need to see evidence of improvement in order to build confidence and motivation.
So how might we...
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Help stroke survivors understand and feel confident in their progress after leaving formal therapy by clearly showing how their efforts outside of rehab are making a difference?
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Create tools that track physical and emotional milestones and enable clinicians to stay connected to survivors’ progress after discharge, ensuring continuous guidance and support beyond the clinic?
OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORKS
From there, I developed frameworks to better understand how the insights, “How Might We” questions, and notes I gathered revealed potential opportunity spaces. I began by identifying the main pathways of stroke recovery. Medical professionals recognize five key types of recovery. However, there is a sixth pathway, one acknowledged by stroke survivors but often overlooked by medical teams. And that is the emotional recovery process.
2x2: Recovery Types
I plotted each of these recovery channels on a 2x2 chart. I noticed that the more traditional forms of stroke recovery, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, are quantifiable and can be tracked over time. In contrast, other recovery areas, like emotional and cognitive-behavioral recovery, either don’t exist at all in the formal recovery process or receive far less attention and support.
Recovery Types
2x2: At-Home Recovery
I applied the same recovery processes to a different kind of 2x2 framework. This time, I assessed what stroke survivors can do independently versus what they cannot easily do on their own. I also looked at how clearly they can perceive their own progress. What I found is that although physical and occupational therapy are often tested and monitored in facilities, many stroke survivors say they cannot tell whether the exercises they do at home are actually helping. It is hard for them to measure progress, and this uncertainty affects their motivation to continue.
At-Home Recovery
Patient's vs Clinician’s Values
The final framework explores what is valued by patients versus what is valued by clinicians. What I discovered is that physical and occupational therapists tend to focus on the measurable improvements their patients are making. On the other hand, patients often feel that the emotional aspects of recovery are most important. They want to regain their sense of self. For example, a survivor who used to be a writer may regain their typing and thinking skills, but they will not feel fully recovered until they feel like a writer again.
Patient's vs Clinician's Values
04 Concept Ideation
LIGHTNING BRAINSTORMING
I noted down a variety of ideas, including some co-created with others. From there, I began identifying which ideas felt the most “sticky”.
REVISED JOURNEY FOR NARROWED-DOWN CONCEPTS
Now that I had a few ideas that I was liking, I made a new journey map to see how these ideas fit back into the context of stroke recovery.
JOTTING DOWN IDEAS FOR STIMULI TESTING
Using the narrowed-down ideas, I started developing quick sketches for stimuli testing. I wanted to evaluate these prototypes through conversation and a short set of activities.
As of now, my ideas are kind of everywhere - some of them tackle the walking / balance part of recovery and others focus on the arm/hand part of recovery. I hope that after testing, I'll have a better idea on which direction to take! I plan on testing around late November once I've got all my testing plan materials done!
04 What's Next???
Stimuli Testing
I am working towards a stimuli testing session where I can gauge how people are feeling about the different ideas. This will help me decide which idea to dive into next quarter!
Prototyping!!!
My favorite part!!!! I am going to iterate like crazy. I am not sure which idea I am pursuing yet, but I believe I will have both a physical and a digital component. I'm looking forward to see how I can have those interact with one another.
Present & Graduate
Present this during graduation and graduate!!!