AstronoMe
Preparing space tourists' mental health for take-off.
Project type
Mental health app concept for DECO2200: Interaction Design Studio at the University of Sydney
Duration
August to November 2020
Role
Interaction designer on a team of three (myself, Margaux Thwaites, and Monica Gee). My responsibilities included user journey mapping, persona generation, user research, ideation, user testing, prototyping and UX/UI design.
Summary
AstronoMe is a mobile-based solution targeting the pre-trip mental health of space tourists set in the future. The concept’s focus on mental health narrows in on fear and anxieties, taking users through the 5 whys guided discovery process. The concept integrates a mixed reality experience to create a sense of immersion and effectively visualise links amongst a user’s insights. AstronoMe was conceived as a mobile app to provide privacy, accessibility and a quick experience that users can keep coming back to.
The challenge
Space travel is soon to take off as a major new part of the tourism industry, thanks to recent advances in the price and sophistication of space technologies. However, transporting people through the wondrous yet inhospitable environment of space comes with some big challenges: particularly in mental health. This led to the problem situation: in the age of space tourism, how might we minimise the impact of fears & anxiety so that travellers can embrace the experience?
"I think sometimes we look to the sky to try and get some perspective. To think of ourselves as small, just like our problem is, in the concept of the big wide universe…"