Tablet Game
UI Design
Data Visualization
Start

Data Visualization

Top 100 Most Habitable Exoplanets

Duration

5 weeks

Programs

Figma, After Effects, Premiere Pro

My Contributions

Information Architecture
Gameplay User Flow
Iconography + Game Prototype

Data Visualization

Top 100 Most Habitable Exoplanets

Duration

5 weeks

Programs

Figma, After Effects, Premiere Pro

My Role

Information Architecture
Gameplay User Flow
Iconography + Game Prototype
User Testing

Data Visualization

Top 100 Most Habitable Exoplanets

Duration

5 weeks

Programs

Figma, After Effects, Premiere Pro

My Role

Information Architecture
Gameplay User Flow
Gameplay iconography + prototyping
User Testing

" Welcome, Space Cadet! You've been selected to participate in a very special journey to space. Your mission is to travel to, build, and sustain resources and colonies on exoplanets. How far away are exoplanets? Well.... let's just say you probably won't be home for a while. And who am I? I'm your space supervisor! "

Let's Get Started!

  • Are you an Early Space Cadet or Expert Space Captain? Choose your level, anyone can be an explorer!

    There are more than 300 potential exoplanets to travel to, so narrow them down by deciding what kind of terrains, star types, and distances we’re interested in exploring first. At this stage, there’s no wrong answer.

Getting Started

  • Are you an Early Space Cadet or Expert Space Captain? Choose your level, anyone can be an explorer!

    There are more than 300 potential exoplanets to travel to, so narrow them down by deciding what kind of terrains, star types, and distances we’re interested in exploring first. At this stage, there’s no wrong answer.

Budget for Space!

  • As an advanced level space captain, you’re responsible for managing the space budget and supplies when building your exoplanet spacecraft. Choose wisely based on existing factors of your exoplanet. We’re counting on you!

Budget for Space!

  • As an advanced level space captain, you’re responsible for managing the space budget and supplies when building your exoplanet spacecraft. Choose wisely based on existing factors of your exoplanet. We’re counting on you!

Prepare for Takeoff

  • Proxima B, our closest exoplanet, might be roughly 75,000 years away; but in exoplanet explorers, players can gaze in awe at the different space environments they must travel through in order to get to their exoplanet of choice.

Prepare for Takeoff

  • Proxima B, our closest exoplanet, might be roughly 75,000 years away; but in exoplanet explorers, players can gaze in awe at the different space environments they must travel through in order to get to their exoplanet of choice.
  • Launch to Space; engaging storytelling animations help to immerse player in gameplay and express the distance and scope of exoplanets

Space Travel is Unpredictable

  • Not every supply, resource or even crew member allocated for in the budget will make it with you to your exoplanet. Your remaining budget (which fluctuates based on what you have left upon landing) determines what kind of activities you can conduct on your exoplanet colony.
  • Colony Types:

    Research Post
    Mining Colony
    Habitat

Space Travel is Unpredictable

  • Not every supply, resource or even crew member allocated for in the budget will make it with you to your exoplanet. Your remaining budget (which fluctuates based on what you have left upon landing) determines what kind of activities you can conduct on your exoplanet colony.
  • Colony Types:
    Research Post
    Mining Colony
    Habitat

Build your Colony

  • Once you land, you can build materials on your exoplanet using unique resources and materials to learn about the complex layers of exoplanet colonization. As your space supervisor, I’ll guide you through the process.

    Exoplanets are tricky to get to! Failure to maintain a colony is pretty normal, but you can always try again.

Build your Colony

  • Build your exoplanet using colony specific resources and materials to learn about the complex layers of exoplanet colonization and research. Your space supervisor will guide you through building.
  • Exoplanets are tricky to get to! Failure to maintain a colony is normal, but that doesn't mean you can't keep trying.  

Exoplanet Explorer's Goal

How might we design an immersive and educational experience that makes exoplanets both easily comprehensible and engaging for children?

Data always has a narrative:

Our biggest challenge was determining which variables were most important to convey the idea of a habitable exoplanet. We based our chosen variables on the Earth Similarity Index (ESI) of real "potentially habitable exoplanets" as documented by the Planetary Habitability Laboratory.
‍
Data drives the narrative, which increases student engagement and learning, so we prioritized key learning variables (time, energy, budget, distance) to express our message.
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Our narrative goal is to express and highlight the overall complexity involved in traveling to and sustaining resources in exoplanet exploration.

Data Variables to be Used

-Exoplanet Name
-Star Type
-Local Star Orbit Duration
-Distance from Earth
-Surface Temperature
-Terrain Types
-Resources
-Spaceship Construction Parameters

Due to the time constraints placed on developing the game, we distilled reasonable assumptions from the data points of top habitable exoplanets (such as surface temperature, age, mass, flux, and more) and supplemented them with fictional gameplay data points to support the narrative (for example: the different colony types are real potential use cases for space exploration, but no exoplanets are realistically habitable at the moment.)

Data Variables to be Used

-Exoplanet Name
-Star Type
-Local Star Orbit Duration
-Distance from Earth
-Surface Temperature
-Terrain Types
-Resources
-Spaceship Construction Parameters


Due to time constraints, we distilled reasonable assumptions from the data points of the exoplanets (such as surface temp, age, mass, flux, etc...) and supplemented them with fictional gameplay data points to support the narrative (for example: the different colony types are real potential use cases for space exploration, but no exoplanets are realistically habitable at the moment.)

Onboarding & Word Building

Beginner and advanced levels will include different levels of budget management.

Spacecraft Builder

Interactive build-your-own spacecraft that informs kids of what constraints they might need to consider

Build Your Colony

Unlock exoplanets as you play and learn how to build various colony types (resource balancing portion of the game  that will result in varying successes or consequences.)

I'm Jill. I’m 10 years old and my favorite subject is science. My science teacher showed us this really cool space game today.

I'm Mr. Vasquez. I’m a 6th grade science teacher teaching about the interplanetary sciences. Educational material about space can be limiting, since it is extremely abstract and not easily observable.

The complexity of space can limit teaching material, which can lead to lack of engagement –a vital factor in information retention and overall learning experience for children.

88% of teachers utilizing digital games in learning modules reported increased student engagement in learning

Including gamified content in learning can even improve average exam scores by up to 7%

88% of teachers utilizing digital games in learning modules reported increased student engagement in learning

Including gamified content in learning can improve average exam scores by up to 7%

Design Considerations

Animated Space Supervisor


The space supervisor is here to guide the player through all stages of gameplay, helping to minimize friction throughout the learning experience.

Failing Forward in Space Travel

-Encourage kids to return and try different methods of space colonization despite setbacks, i.e. failure is normal

-Messaging should allow the player to learn from their experiences and want to return to the game.

User Testing Metrics

As children are considered a protected group, we were unable to directly test with them until late stages of development. We utilized heuristic analysis and internal testing to validate early gameplay, and validated with younger players later on.

10/10

can understand and explain the different parameters involved in game travel without asking for moderator guidance

9/10

can successfully manage and budget at least one trip to an exoplanet

10/10

Reported increased level of initial interest in exoplanets and space compared with sentiments prior to gameplay

+90%

Expressed desire in continuing the game after 1 full try regardless of exoplanet outcome (using Likert Scale, 4-5 / 5.)

Testing Feedback - Landing

My responsibilities revolved around the task flow and gameplay upon landing on an exoplanet. My goal is to ensure that players experience a continued sense of immersion to maintain engagement even when confronted with a large load of information. In this context-heavy game, the narrative guides information retention and gameplay.

Ver 1

Final Ver

X

Blank background, trip results break immersion of launch animation, disengaging

X

Excessive negative space following animation feels incomplete

✔

Initial view with implied 360 exploratory view draws players into the planet

✔

Provides opportunity to build up gameplay excitement

Testing Feedback - Landing

Ver 1

X

Excessive negative space following animation feels incomplete

X

Blank background, trip results break immersion of launch animation, disengaging

Ver 2

✔

Initial view with implied 360 exploratory view draws players into the planet

✔

Provides opportunity to build up gameplay excitement

Testing - Colony Type Selection

Ver 1

Ver 2

Final Ver

X

Icon only progress bars lack context, overlapping lines are confusing at first glance

X

Adds increased cognitive load onto an already processing heavy page

X

Showing this single trip results page before selecting colony types = more button clicks required to continue with the game

X

Lack of action items following animation removes player from immersive gameplay, decreasing interest

✔

Contextualized background without distracting from information

✔

Flexible Counter: Resource quantity can either be strictly defined (counter) or visually defined (less vs more)

Testing - Colony Type Selection

Ver 1

X

Icon only progress bars lack context, overlapping lines are confusing at first glance

X

Adds increased cognitive load onto an already processing heavy page

Ver 2

X

Singular trip results page results in more button clicks to get to the "meat" of the game

X

Excessive negative space following animation feels incomplete

Final Ver.

✔

Flexible Counter:
Straightforward resource quantity can either be strictly defined (counter) or visually defined (less vs more)

✔

Contextualized background without distracting from information

Testing - Colony Type Selection

X

Icon only progress bars lack context, overlapping lines are confusing at first glance

X

Adds increased cognitive load onto an already processing heavy page

X

Singular trip results page results in more button clicks to get to the "meat" of the game

X

Excessive negative space following animation feels incomplete

✔

Contextualized background without distracting from information

✔

Flexible Counter:
Straightforward resource quantity can either be strictly defined (counter) or visually defined (less vs more)

Scenario Reel

Next Steps + Thoughts

Given more time I would love to conduct more research into how to appropriately flesh out each level for children of different age groups. We relied on heuristic analysis and secondary  research due to time constraints and user group restrictions, but based on existing positive user feedback + internal testing the game has great potential to be utilized in both educational and recreational aspects.

Gamifying data is a very effective way to help young kids understand and digest information. It is way more effective to use images and icons in the mission control data visualization as opposed to bars, lines and captions that create lots of clutter. We learned to set constraints early.

Other Works

01 Intro02 Prototype03 Process04  End