Marissa Maglis
Timeframe
12 Weeks
Team Members
Two Members
My Role
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Contribution to user research
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Co-UI Designer
Tools
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Adobe XD
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Adobe Illustrator
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Premiere Pro
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Balsamiq
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Keynote
Deliverables
User Interface Design
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Research Plan
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Existing User Interfaces
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Online Ethnography Competitor Analysis
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Persona
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Storyboarding
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Sketches
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Science Fiction Prototyping
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Paper, mid and high-fidelity prototypes
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Journey Maps
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Think-Aloud Protocols
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SUS Test
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Heuristic Evaluation
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Flow Diagram
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Walk-Through Video
Astro Ring
A lightweight holographic ring was developed to address passengers' nutritional needs during the pre-flight and mid-flight stages of space travel.
It offers interactive features and customizable screen displays, allowing users to control the device through various playful hand or voice actions for an engaging user experience.
This helps prevent nutritional deficiencies and ensures passengers with different dietary requirements can be accommodated during commercial space travel.
How I Design
The Role
The Problem
Research Objective
Discover
Define Problem
Research
Data
People have dreamt of travelling through space for centuries. In this design brief, you will get to imagine what form of interactive applications and systems might be necessary for commercial space travel in the future.
The discussion focuses on the necessary food products for space travellers, considering the unique challenges posed by the spaceflight environment and microgravity.
Our main subject stems from food and nutrition in space, and how people travelling long distances will need to be aware of the food they are eating and be able to keep track of their nutritional vitals.
Research Plan
To facilitate informed decision-making, a research scope was formulated, taking into account research objectives, target audiences, and the selection of appropriate research methods.
Main Research Questions
Health
How to maintain a healthy diet that caters to specific users' needs and dietary requirements?
Storage
What kinds of foods can reach a lengthy expiration date?
Sustainability
How is food prepared and disposed in space?
Background Research
In a Channel 4 video, NASA's food preparation process for astronauts was showcased. The video outlined the steps of purchasing food from a local store, meticulously preparing it in a laboratory, and subsequently freeze-drying it.
Problems:
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Ensuring the longevity of food storage: The duration of food in spacecraft has a direct impact on its quality and nutritional value, posing high-risk consequences for the health and performance of astronauts during mid and post-flight periods. A study conducted by NASA revealed a notable decrease in vitamins in tortillas, salmon, and broccoli over time.
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Restricted food choices: Space missions often have constraints on the variety and availability of food choices, which can result in monotonous diets and limited nutritional diversity.
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Changes in taste and texture perceptions: The space environment can impact the perception of taste and alter the texture of food. Astronauts may experience changes in their taste preferences and appetite, which can affect their food intake and nutritional status.
Targeted Problem Area
Improper management of diet nutrients during long-duration spaceflights can lead to various health problems, as products have expiration dates and can have future implications on the overall health and well-being of individuals. Research has shown that energy consumption in orbit is generally lower, and weight gain is not typical for current astronauts, highlighting the importance of ensuring a balanced diet for future space travellers. The current research aims to determine the significance of preserving food processes for long-lasting nutritional value and the maintenance of human health in space.
Existing User Interfaces
Why These Devices?
All three interfaces are highly effective in communicating and interacting with the user's chosen goal for health and nutritional benefits even though the devices use different visibility and interaction. However, the interfaces all have the same goals/task/achievement in supporting the improvement of a user's overall health which can be a potential inspiration for a solution to a spaceflight journey.
Define
Understand User
Redefine Problem
Research Methods and Findings
The research utilized online ethnography, competitor analysis, persona and storyboarding techniques to explore how onboard provisions can protect user health by addressing issues such as bacterial growth, food waste, and nutrient deficiencies.
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The purpose of this current research is to determine the importance of preserving the food process and long-lasting for human health without nutritional loss.
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Improper management of diet nutrients during long-duration spaceflights can have future implications on the overall health and well-being of individuals, considering the shelf life and expiration dates of food products.
Competitors Analysis Results
Online Ethnography
Personas
Storyboarding
Story 1: Henry experienced discomfort due to the absence of clear information on the expiry label, leading to his feeling unwell.
Story 2: Examining her food package, Audrey notices the lack of a nutritional label. After completing her meal, she becomes aware of the significant amount of plastic waste concealed by her food and present in the rubbish bin.
Ideate
Potential devices
Find solutions from insights
Throughout our interactive design process, we have thoughtfully related ideation methods in different stages of our process. Further improving and developing from our user feedback relating back to our design problem.
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Our ideation involved the creation of a series of sketches, science fiction prototyping, as well as the creation of multiple paper prototypes.
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The use of science fiction prototyping allowed us to understand and develop the context behind our designs, and the world in which they would be used.
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Paper prototyping further enabled us to visualise our ideas in a somewhat realistic form factor, granting us a degree of understanding as to the size constraints of our device concepts.
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We also created user journey maps and think-aloud protocols for each concept, thereby allowing us to iterate off feedback generated from previous designs.
Sketches
Second Iteration
First Iteration
Second Iteration
Second Iteration
Rapid Prototyping
Wireframes
High-fidelity Prototype
Integrated Testing
Paper Prototypes and Low Fidelity
Paper Prototypes
Low Fidelity
Low Fidelity
Paper Prototypes
Mid Fidelity Prototypes
Our multiple-user tests and evaluations proved to be most useful when iterating upon our designs. We received multiple pieces of feedback, most of which we incorporated into our final designs.
The exploration of user feedback in the mockup screens was to evaluate any existing problems, discover opportunities or notice the user's behaviour. The response received from users' experience in our interactive mockup prototype was successful as it was described as effective in having a clear design in completing end goals.
Evaluate
Synthesise
Usability Testing
Five participants from the Architecture, Design, and Planning building performed various tasks on our final mockup's user interface. Feedback on our final design was praise for visuals, high functionality, and consistent flow of screen context. Users described the design system as "highly unique" and "stunning within its diverse context."
Usability Testing
Throughout our interactive design process, we integrated ideation methods at different stages, continuously improving based on user feedback in relation to our design problem.
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Conducting a heuristic evaluation allowed us to assess the effectiveness and usability of holographic screens, examining compliance with usability principles outlined in "10 Heuristics for User Interface Design" (Nielsen & Molich, 1990: Nielsen, 1994).
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Using the System Usability Scale (SUS) with 10 questions, assessed user reactions to the holographic screens, aiming for intuitiveness and ease in user-focused design development.
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Results varied among the 6 participants, but all users scored above 68, with a mean score of 79.16 and a median score of 73.75. This indicated that users found the system easy to use while recognizing the potential for improvement.
Final Design UI Colour and Typography Guide
The choice of colour palette plays a crucial role in the user interface, creating a visually cohesive and engaging experience for users. By carefully selecting the appropriate colour combinations, it becomes an effective tool in capturing the viewers' attention and enhancing their visual enjoyment. Typography choices also greatly influence how easily users can read and comprehend the content. Proper font styles, sizes, and spacing ensure that text is clear and easy to read, enhancing the overall usability of the interface.
Final Design
Video Walk-Through and Reflection
Upon reflection, we created a minimalist design that not only educates and informs but also enables creative and playful interactions between the user and the interface.
By utilising user feedback gathering during a series of tests and evaluations, we created a cohesive design that flows well and remains consistent with itself. Our design does not break any usability laws and is easy for users to navigate.