Background
ANEUVO came to Areteworks to design the user experience for ExaStim, a portable neuromodulation system that delivers stimulation to the spinal cord through an external 16 channel electrode array. The therapy supports motor function recovery for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.
ExaStim was unusual on two fronts. It would be used by trained clinicians during therapy sessions, then by patients and caregivers at home with no clinician in the room. And it relied on stimulation parameters configured per patient that had to be set, monitored, and adjusted across multiple sessions. The interface had to serve both audiences without compromising either.
Challenge
The core challenge was building two interfaces inside one product.
Clinicians needed fast configuration, impedance checking across all 16 electrodes, live stimulation control, and clear visibility into therapy parameters during a session. They had to scan and adjust at the speed of clinical decision making.
The same product had to feel approachable at home, with no clinician present and no medical training to lean on. Patients and caregivers needed clear guidance for placing the electrode array, starting a prescribed therapy session, and knowing when something needed attention.
Both audiences had to trust it. And the design had to keep the product from feeling like two different products.
Solution
We started with sketches and clinician conversations. Before any pixel was placed, we mapped the workflow for a typical therapy session, identified where errors were most likely to occur, and determined which configuration choices a clinician should never have to revisit during a session. From there, we built interactive prototypes in Figma to validate the workflow with stakeholders and ran formative usability sessions with clinicians to surface use errors early.
The clinical interface centers on the electrode map. Impedance values, stimulation status, and current settings all live in one view. The home version borrows the same visual system but pares it down to what an untrained user needs. Clear guidance for electrode placement. A timer for session pacing. Confirmation patterns that catch the wrong action before it becomes a problem.
We iterated on clinical input and use-error scenarios across multiple rounds. The final UI was delivered as C code, ready for integration into ExaStim's embedded system. The result was an interface system that holds together across both audiences, in two very different environments, without splitting into two products.