NASA SUITS UX Challenge
Industry
Space
Design Category
Interface UX Design
Timeline
Sep 2023 - May 2024
Team
20 Designers + Engineers
Background
Problem
How might we create a seamless experience for completing critical mission tasks despite harsh environmental and physical constraints?
During their every quest, the astronauts need to complete these 4 following tasks under the high-stakes condition on Mars:
Solution
Creating an AR experience that reduces cognitive load to support Martian mission tasks, along with a web interface that assists astronaut operations with efficiency and safety.
The solution for the project is to leverage Augmented Reality provided by Microsoft HoloLens to offer alerts, provide task instructions, and alleviate burdensome tasks for astronauts as they complete missions.
DISCOVER AND DEFINE
Understand our users' painpoints
We conducted interviews with three key subgroups: astronauts, field geologists, and augmented reality specialists. From our findings, we identified common themes and highlighted four main pain points. These insights will guide our approach to design moving forward
Technology and parameters research with user interviews
Takeaways from previous product usability testing and field tests
Research key insights
Core Design Tenants
From our extensive secondary and primary research, we have identified common themes and pinpointed the following design tenants that will guide our designs.
MY ROLE
LMCC Web Interface Designer
Due to the extensive scope of tasks, the design team decided to divide responsibilities to ensure efficiency and focus. I was assigned the task of designing for the Local Mission Control console web interface. Some key areas I was in charge of include:
LMCC DESIGN
User Flow Chart
The user flow for the Local Mission Control Console (LMCC) encompasses all the key components required to efficiently manage and monitor the mission. Each section of the interface is designed to support a specific aspect of mission control, ensuring smooth operations and quick decision-making.
Storyboarding sketches and ideas
After identifying key pain points and user flows, the teams held a rapid brainstorming session. During this session, we developed concept sketches to address each pain point.
White paper write up
After identifying key pain points and user flows, the teams held a rapid brainstorming session. During this session, we developed concept sketches to address each pain point.
Rapid low-fidelity design sprints and iterations within tight timelines
Given the time constraints, we conducted design sprints to create low-fi mockups and gather quick feedback from professionals and colleagues who were around us. This approach enabled us to identify features for iteration rapidly without getting too deep into design details and bubbled-up debates. Key insigths from the usability tests and iterative designs resulted in the following changes:
ITERATE AND TEST
Iterative User Testing
After mocking up our first clickable prototype, we tested them with RISD faculty and students by having them walk through our system. We asked them to "think out loud" during the process, which gave us valuable insights, though we did have to step in and skip a few tasks when participants struggled to understand the simulation. This experience really highlighted the importance of a proper briefing — we learned that it's crucial to provide clear instructions so users don’t go into the experience unprepared
CONFLICT
Bridging the gap between design and development teams
Due to the iterative nature of the project, the design team updated multiple prototypes, each evolving based on user feedback and testing. However, as the iterations progressed, the prototypes began to become increasingly disorganized, with changes often made in isolation without alignment between teams. This led to inconsistencies when transitioning from design into development, making it more challenging for the development team to understand and implement the prototypes.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Aligning key features for development
To ensure smooth collaboration between design and development teams, we implemented a version-controlled documentation system. This system included clear labeling of design decisions, direction changes, dates, and team members' names, ensuring that all modifications and updates were well-documented and easily traceable.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Building on top of 2023’s design system, we revised and specified it into multiple subcategories to enhance detail orientation and accessibility, addressing the increased volume of tasks. Notably, the LMCC team developed our own interface and icon system that adapted to the dual monitor interface while ensuring a unified design language with the AR displays.
FINAL DESIGN
Below is an embedded interactive prototype of the LMCC that you are welcome to navigate through.
