An educational and fun tablet game using data visualization to teach kids about exoplanets and what space colonization is all about.
14 weeks, Jan - Apr 2024
Middle school kids
Elementary school kids
Kids both experienced and inexperienced with science
Parents and Teachers
During the 14-week studio I was in charge of storyboarding, team project management, concept sketch development, icon illustration and UX/UI design. I created prototype mockups in Figma for the initiation stage of the game, where I designed the different metrics in exoplanet selection through data visualization. As a team we collaborated on the overall visual system.
“I can see this possibly being adopted by NASA JPL for their system design. Very good work with the data visualization!”
- Santiago Lombeyda, Instructor @ ArtCenter College of Design
This project focuses on data visualization of a top 100 dataset, centering the top 100 most promising habitable exoplanets in the known universe.
Graphically representing such a large and complex dataset is a difficult task. Depending on the target user, there are different aspects of the data that may prove useful. Deciding on the relevance, prioritization, and most importantly the relatability of the information through a cohesive story are the key challenges in this project.
Our approach is a tablet-based game for children.
Gamifying data is a very effective way to help people understand and digest complex information, especially for young kids.
The first step was deciding the learning outcomes for kids through analyzing the dataset.
Learning outcomes for kids include:
Understanding the different parameters we need to balance when picking an exoplanet.
Understanding the considerations in building a spaceship that can get us to an exoplanet.
Learning to balance different factors in building a successful colony.
Our core dataset is obtained from an online database from the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. The full dataset can be found here.
The process in 4 steps:
Sketch Concept > Storyboarding > UI Design > User Testing
To achieve the aforementioned learning outcomes, we structured our design first with a core colonization narrative. This anchored the data in a relatable universe and story to serve as a vessel to help kids understand exoplanets in context. The core narrative then kickstarted the design process, first beginning with hand sketched explorations.
Sketch Concept
I started with hand sketches to ideate potential interfaces for the game that fully visualized the dataset in a whimsical manner.
In our excel sheet, we looked at the different aspects of habitable exoplanets, and found that the following were most relevant to our users based on rehabilitation comfort:
Surface temperature
Distance from Earth
Star type
Orbit duration
Exoplanet name
To increase the realism of the project, we also added in the following metrics:
Terrain Types
Resources (Water, Metal, Food, Soil)
Spaceship construction parameters
Based on these metrics, I began to develop sketch ideas on how to potentially introduce each metric in a gamified story.
Storyboarding
Using our hand-sketches, the team and I began mapping out our narrative through storyboarding iterations.
Part 1
Initial on-boarding + Exoplanet search filter
Part 2
Spacecraft selection + Launch animation
Part 3
Exoplanet arrival + Colonization game
UI Design
Once storyboarding was complete, I began creating the exoplanet icons, terrain icons, resource icons, and visual style.
The overall art style is Flat Isometric for the illustrations & icons.
The aim was the visual UI to convey the following aspects:
Exploratory
Playful
Cosmic
Vibrant
Youthful
Modular
User Testing
Once the prototype was complete, we performed user testing on iPads with kids under parent supervision. We looked at usability, comprehension, and interest in continuing the game after the end of the test.
*Participants will remain anonymous for privacy.*
Exoplanet Explorers follows the narrative of space exploration, colonization, and resource management to create an accessible and fun tablet game for young children.
Success metrics for this prototype in testing include:
Increased comprehension of complex exoplanet data among elementary school kids.
Raised interest in astronomy and space as a subject, leading to increased enrollment in space camps for kids.
Consistent gameplay retention i.e. do players want to return after the first game to colonize more planets?
Primary Audience & Storyline
Our primary target users are kids in school who are being exposed to science subjects. Jill, our science lover, represents our existing target group and advanced player. Tommy, our curious student, represents our target acquisition group and beginner player.
Section 1
The initial on-boarding orientation, world building, and exoplanet search filter. This is where kids will learn about different variables that are involved in determining a hospitable exoplanet that they can potentially explore.
Section 2
The spacecraft builder that informs kids what goes into preparing for a space expedition, and what constraints they might need to consider.
Section 3
The colonization game of Exoplanet Exploration, where kids learn how to begin a settlement in a newly explored exoplanet. This is a resource balance segment of the game that will result in varying successes or consequences.
Data Visualization Decisions
I decided what information was most important for the user based on ease of comprehension in searching for exoplanets. In addition to data visualization, I added a prompt at the top for the user to narrow down search options as well to help relieve information overload and make the process more digestible.
Data sets that needed to be expressed:
Terrain Types, Distance from Earth, Star Type, Local Star Orbit Duration & Surface Temperature
Key encoding channels used:
Color (Teal)
Proximity
Shape (Distinctive glyphs & illustrations)
Reflexive Data Visualization:
Number of potential available exoplanets
Illustrations
Labels
Experiential Data Visualization:
Tap to select and tap again to deselect
Learned Data Visualization:
Final search results after selecting these filters
Using illustrations and graphics is a very effective way to express complex data to a younger audience, especially data related to space travel and exoplanet exploration. The key is to have a narrative that provides relevance and key context to guide the user on how to interpret the data.
Sometimes pictures do indeed speak a thousand words. It was way more effective to use images and icons in the mission control data vis as opposed to bars, lines and captions that created lots of clutter.
It’s important to set constraints early. By stepping back from the complex dataset and referencing our core user narrative, we realized that we had to simplify the gameplay to include a hard stop for novice players–both to encourage further exploration and prevent information fatigue.
