Astermo
Designing for the future: Supporting first-time space travellers
Role: User Researcher, UX/UI Designer, Video Production
Location: The University of Sydney, NSW
Design Tools: Miro, Figma, Slack, Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, Photoshop)
Project Summary
Astermo is a conceptual AR-based, mobile app created in the DECO2200 Interaction Design Studio to support first-time space travelers by helping them monitor and maintain their mental well-being during mid-flight. Through an immersive, screen-based experience with features like emotion tracking, mood journaling, and personalised galactic AR environments, Astermo aims to make commercial space travel more psychologically supportive.
Target Users
Astermo’s target users are space tourists and commercial passengers experiencing prolonged flights in a new environment. Our research showed that for many first-time space travelers, mental strain and anxiety are common, particularly in unfamiliar or isolated settings. Astermo addresses these challenges by creating a safe, engaging space to manage and reflect on mental health in transit.
Problem Statement
The goal of Astermo is to design an intuitive, calming experience to help space travelers maintain a balanced state of mind. The app encourages mental reflection through mood tracking, AR visualisations, and emotion-based journaling, offering users an engaging way to document and manage their emotional journey.
My Role
As a User Researcher and UX/UI Designer, I collaborated with teammates to conduct user research, prototype designs, and produce a demo video. My responsibilities included designing mood tracking, facilitating user testing, and integrating feedback into the final high-fidelity prototype.
Contraints
Tools and Technology: Limited to accessible technology (Miro, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite) and student resources; simulated AR features required innovative solutions within available tools.
Participant Access: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, user testing and AR simulations were limited, requiring virtual methods and physical bodystorming sessions.
Timeframe: A structured academic schedule required efficient planning and execution, balancing iterations with project deadlines.
Process Overview
Approach: Research and Iterative Prototyping
The project followed a rigorous process involving multiple iterations, usability evaluations, and innovative prototyping methods to simulate the user experience in a space environment.
The project followed a rigorous process involving multiple iterations, usability evaluations, and innovative prototyping methods to simulate the user experience in a space environment.
Discovery & Concept Development
Research and Ideation: Using Miro, we conducted mind-mapping exercises and initial user research to understand space travelers’ needs. Based on findings, we developed three initial concepts and evaluated them using a decision matrix, leading us to select Astermo for its unique integration of mood tracking and AR interactions.
Stakeholder Feedback: Tutor feedback emphasised the need for visual clarity and depth in the AR experience, guiding our decision to incorporate 3D projections and audial feedback.
Low-Fidelity Prototyping and Iterations
Initial Prototypes: We began with low-fidelity prototypes in Figma to map out user flows, testing different interactions and emotional tracking elements.
First Iteration Feedback: Based on heuristic evaluations focused on “user control and freedom,” “consistency,” and “minimalist design,” we improved icon readability, simplified flows, and enhanced system feedback visibility.
Mid-High-Fidelity Prototyping and AR Simulation
AR Bodystorming: To simulate an AR experience, we created physical prototypes and set up a mock “space” with holographic projections. Users participated in a bodystorming session where they role-played space travelers, helping us refine AR gestures, emotional tracking methods, and the calm-space projections.
Figma and Projection Setup: Using Figma for detailed screens and projection tools, we simulated an AR interaction where users could log emotions through emoji-based inputs and access an immersive, calm galactic background.
User Testing & Feedback Incorporation
Think-Aloud Protocol: We invited 13 participants across age groups to test the prototype and perform tasks while verbalising their thoughts. Observations highlighted areas where users faced friction, leading us to refine layouts, action indicators, and feedback mechanisms.
SUS Testing & Surveys: System Usability Scale (SUS) scores and post-test questionnaires provided insights into user satisfaction, informing final adjustments to AR interactions and entry points for emotional journaling.
Outcomes and Learnings
Results: Astermo effectively showcases how UX design can be applied to future-focused challenges like space travel. By simulating a calming environment with mood tracking and AR, the final prototype supports emotional well-being and offers an immersive experience tailored to long-duration space trips.
Key Learnings:
Importance of Physical Prototyping in AR Testing: The bodystorming sessions helped simulate the spatial and emotional dynamics that would be difficult to capture in digital mockups alone.
Iterative User Feedback Drives Refinement: Feedback from each iteration, especially think-aloud testing, revealed subtle issues in user flows and AR interactions, allowing us to improve usability progressively.
Visual Clarity is Essential for AR Interfaces: Ensuring clean, intuitive design for AR elements proved essential for clarity, as users interacted with both screen-based and projected elements.
Reflection: Designing for Astermo underscored the impact of empathetic, immersive design in emerging fields like commercial space travel. This project highlighted how thoughtful UX and AR integration can support mental health, providing space travellers with an engaging tool to foster calm and self-reflection in challenging environments.
Figma Prototype