Rabbit the Miner — Lee Lab, SNU

Problem

Research shows that regulating Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) can reduce depressive symptoms. But existing neurofeedback paradigms are clinical and boring — participants disengage, data quality drops, and the therapeutic effect weakens. We needed an engaging way to train FAA regulation.

My Role

On a 5-person research team at Lee Lab, I owned the game UX, feedback system design, and data dashboard — deciding what brainwave stats to surface, when to show them, and how to structure per-round feedback to drive improvement.

Process

• Designed the core game loop: when a player successfully regulates their FAA, the rabbit mines ore. Sustained regulation triggers a 'fever time' bonus round, rewarding consistent brainwave control.
• Intentionally gave no instructions on how to regulate FAA — players discovered their own mental strategies through trial and error, which is more effective for long-term learning than prescriptive guidance.
• Designed a per-round feedback system: positive or negative feedback after each round helped players progressively improve their brainwave regulation ability across sessions.
• Built the data dashboard showing real-time brainwave metrics — choosing which stats to surface and when, balancing scientific accuracy with player comprehension.
• Made the system compatible with multiple brainwave metrics beyond FAA, so it can be adapted for different neurofeedback research paradigms.

Outcome

Ran the experiment with 10 participants and achieved statistically significant improvement in brainwave regulation across rounds. Players got competitive, found their own strategies, and genuinely enjoyed the experience — even wearing unfamiliar EEG equipment. The per-round feedback system was the key driver of progressive improvement.

What I Learned

This project changed how I think about products. I joined the lab because I care deeply about people — about psychology, about how to make someone's life a little better. Seeing participants improve their mental state through a game I designed, without even realizing they were training their brain, showed me that small UX decisions create real human impact. Previous neurofeedback tools just beeped when brainwaves changed. We built something people actually wanted to play. That gap — between functional and meaningful — is what I want to close in every product I work on.