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Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme company spotlight: Human Studio
April 7, 2025Our Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme spotlight for April is on Human Studio. Human Studio is developing LifePathXR, an XR therapeutic tool designed to help people with common mental health conditions by creating an immersive version of their life journey to experience and share with others. Nick Bax, Founder and Creative Director, shares insights about the company and its innovative approach to enhancing patients' well-being.
What three pieces of advice would you give budding innovators?
- Listen to the end users as much as you can - you might have an inspiring vision, but you need to be open to change in response to users' views.
- Get connected to others doing similar work, have some good conversations about your goals, and form partnerships or alliances where you can.
- Be prepared to be rejected or to fail - not everyone will share your vision - and use the disappointment to keep pushing for what you believe in.
What’s the most exciting statistic or fact you have about XR in mental health?
In our co-design workshops, most participants had never used XR technology before, and they were a diverse group with various mental illnesses, neurodiversities and physical conditions.
How has user feedback, particularly from patients and clinicians, shaped your product?
LifePathXR has been co-designed from a pre-development stage with members of Sheffield Flourish who have lived experience of mental health conditions. Our steering group also represents Flourish alongside mental health professionals with a passion for improving conditions and outcomes. Collectively, their insight has revealed routes, options and improvements that would not have been visible without their input.
How could your innovation tackle inequalities in mental health?
People feel that their lived experience is not taken into account, and healthcare professionals do not know the background information that is so important to people's understanding of themselves and their problems. LifePathXR will change this dynamic and ensure that people's lived experiences are at the heart of their interactions with professionals.
Why should the health and care system be excited about your innovation?
LifePathXR is a new, creative way of giving people using the health and care system a voice. It helps them to capture their stories, including their lived experience of mental health conditions, in a way they are happy with. Our co-designers tell us that people often find it difficult to talk about their life stories and to repeat them to new healthcare professionals. With LifePathXR, the users are in control of the creation of their digital lifestory, and they can easily share it with whomever they choose, without having to repeat it.
