Astro Learners
I designed a service that uses role-playing video game as an e-learning tool to make space science learning easier & engaging
Project Background
Our educational RPG mobile app, Astro Learners, help kids (ages 11-13) learn more about space exploration by teaching about a single or multiple NASA JPL missions. The brief was provided by NASA JPL. For our application, my team is utilizing a game-based application in which users play an astronaut traveling through space for their space education learning.
Timeline
2021 Fall
Role
Product Designer
Tools
Adobe Xd
Skills
Interaction Design, Product Strategy, User Research, Prototyping
DISCOVERY
Problem
Academic curriculum of Space learning for students (age11-13) is too inefficient & unengaging, especially in this modern era where students are easily distracted from learning online.
OPPORTUNITY
By changing the perspective that space science learning is easy and interactive, rather than boring and static, Astro Learners, makes space science learning practicable and allow students to be personally motivated
Product Preview
FEATURE 1
Quick Onboarding Stage
User can sign up either with an email or phone number and there is no social media onboarding option because it can distract students to stay motivated
FEATURE 2
Character Customization
User can personalize the Astro Suit and Comet (AI) which engages the role-play gaming aspect of our digital education
FEATURE 3
Gamificiation
Users will experience the solar system first hand through a role-playing game with an AI to guide them for high engagement in learning process
The Process behind Astro Learners
USER RESEARCH
Understanding the Context
There are a variety of apps on the market that deal with the topic of space, specifically looking at the solar system and astronomy. As one of our objectives was to identify barriers with regard to online learning, we successfully approached a step closer in coming up with a solution to make digital education engaging and spark discussion about our world by throughly analyzing our competitors.
Competitive Analysis
To learn more about the current design systems and user flows of Space Science applications, I discovered 3 applications that served as key sources of inspiration to help make a better experience on Astro Learner's app. They also helped us explore how our app could be better and more tailored to how people absorb information in learning science.
1) Inaccessible Language
The content was very hard to understand and learn as a user
Based user reviews and having experienced these platforms first hand, we found that 4 of the 7 had content that users were able to easily understand
Britannica Kids: Solar System
2) Excess Ads + Paid Features
Continuous ads coming up & asking the users to buy the paid features disrupted the learning process on the app
3 competitors had various complaints from users regarding ads getting in the way of the learning experience and being limited in what they can learn due to paid features.
Vito Technology Inc.
3) Customization
Earning badges from learning helped users to feel rewarded for their effort
Only 1 had customization features that users could use to feel more connected with the content. Users earn points by watching videos and completing activities. Points can unlock various avatars and achievement badges, and also the customizable profile (username and bio).
Khan Academy: Solar System
DEFINE
Persona
I created a user persona to help shape my product strategy and accompany myself during future usability testing sessions to have more intentional conversations with our users. From the insights generated via research, I was able to develop this user persona.
User Journey
To help build empathy for users, I created a journey map to illustrate their experiences learning on Astro Learners. Users were the most engaged in playing their first mission, customization and meeting their AI. One of the pain points was how the user could experience frustration if the level is difficult in playing their mission.
User Flow
When creating the user flow, I made sure that the user always knew three things: where they are, how they got there, and where to go next. We had three big stages of the user flow: recruitment, enrollment and game play.
View PDF Ver.
So what information is relevant and critical to disabled users?
​
User Interviews
In order to understand what our users thought, we needed rich qualitative and quantitative insights. Conducting user interviews enabled us to understand their experiences. 9 Interviews were conducted via zoom. Participants varied from 11-23 years old.
Goals
​
-
Understand relationship to Science
-
Gauge levels of interest for educational space game
-
See what features would be desirable in a mobile game
Specific Objectives
-
The relationship between preferred Style of Learning & Features that Users Value
-
Levels of interest on an Educational Space Game
-
How users perceive Science in Learning Stages
-
How active users will use this app in a week
-
Understanding the Relationship that users have with games and science
The questions were divided into 3 big categories of games related, science related and continuous questions based on the answers given by the interviewee. After all the user interviews, we jotted down all the data onto post-It notes in Mural. Then we organized our observations about the target user’s situations. Finally, we reviewed our interviews and observations to identify the patterns in order to fully understand the problem and where the problem is rooting from.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Color Palette
Typography
Key Insights From User Interviews
We took this knowledge into consideration when moving forward with the design of the app.
The biggest reasons were the way that it is taught and the concepts being too hard to understand.
Reasons Why People Found Science Difficult
We took user’s wants into consideration by including a reward system (badges, levels, and points).
With the two highest wants were implementing multiplayer functions and some sort of reward system to keep them engaged.
Features users want to see in the Potential Space App
We wanted to see if our app was even fit for the market so we went ahead and asked our interviewees if they would even consider playing an educational space game and to our surprise 100% of them said yes.
To our surprise 100% of them would consider playing an educational space game
Willingness to play an Educational Space Gaming App
IDEATION
Applying Insights to App Design
Pain Point: Science is Difficult
The way science was taught made it difficult to learn
Changing the way of Learning
1) Role-playing Video Game + AI
Astro Learners will differ from current space education apps on the market as we will emphasize the true personal engagement between the user and application to spark interests in space and science missions by integrating a role-playing video game with an AI (comet) that guides them through the learning stages.
The AI (Comet) constantly engages with the user by asking questions and giving directions to complete missions assigned during the game play
This is AI (Comet) that guides the user in the learning stages.
User can customize AI (Comet) and Astro, adding personalization
Pain Point: Hard Concepts & language
The inaccessible text-heavy material and the concepts were difficult to understand
Fixing inaccessible language & Eliminating Hard Concepts
2) Completing One Mission at a Time + Kids Friendly Language
This application will help kids (11-13 years old) understand and gain knowledge about NASA JPL missions without text-heavy material and concepts that are beyond kid’s level of understanding. Users will be able to experience the solar system first hand and apply the new knowledge themselves and wonder beyond the world around them in digestible small steps by completing one mission at a time.
The mission is given to the user in a comprehensive language.
The completed tasks of the given mission is marked with a checkmark to let users know what they have achieved so far.
After finding the Lunar Rover (mission given), real scenes of the NASA missions and information about is played through the audio.
By breaking down the learnings into missions, science learning is more practicable and easier to approach. Learning in small steps by completing one mission at a time will change the perspective that science learning is boring and difficult.
Pain Point: Unmotivated to stay focused
Driving Motivation
It is very easy to get distracted learning online
Reward System + Badges
Also, students will be rewarded points to unlock certain accomplishment badges after completing each mission. This system will motivate students to try harder and we will give credit for every attempt the students make to ensure no discouragement is involved in the learning process.
TESTING
Usability Testing
​
​For our usability testing we gave two tasks to the users to complete. We studied user’s facial expressions and counted number of clicks attempt to complete the tasks. The usability testing was proceeded through zoom meetings so that we could have access to their facial expressions and record their usability testing process.
Two tasks were given to Users
​​
​1. Sign Up for Astro Learners
2. Customize your Character
All test users were positive with the app in terms of the simplicity & the engaging designs that incorporate the bright colors and an option to custom design their own astro suit & the comet (AI). However, we observed some frustrations with the prototype in different areas.
Key Observations From Usability Testing
1) Excitement finding customization feature
When they realized how they can customize their own suit with the color of their choice, they found it really interesting (shown by their smiles on their face) and was even more positive when they can also design their own star (AI). However, all three users were frustrated and confused when the color of their choice was not saved to their avatar (space suit) after clicking the save button.
CUSTOMIZATION
CUSTOMIZATION
SAVE BUTTON
2) Unclear when the changes had been saved or not
After customizing their own star (AI) by choosing a color, nothing was shown to the user end where it integrated the saved features so it seemed to confuse the users in what they just did by choosing a color for the star. We fixed that by showing the star on the astronaut’s shoulder showing the saved changes to show the impact on the user’s choices.
ALIGNMENT
3) Unaligned words & menu overlay distracts users
One of the users commented that one of the screens seemed a bit unaligned which bothered them so therefore, we fixed the screen and made sure it is aligned to the center. Also, there was another comment regarding how the menu overlay shouldn’t cover the top of the screen which bothered them. We fixed this aspect to make sure the menu doesn't overlay on top of the screen in our improved prototype.