And all of a Saturn, our problem was clear
Sprint 6: Saturn ✨✨
Megan here with your much anticipated update on Team Talos. 🚀
Synthesis, synthesis, and more synthesis
We’ve spent the past couple of weeks synthesizing away, attempting to make sense of the vast amount of research data we’ve collected over the past four months. While we were hesitant to stop research completely (there’s always more to learn!), reflecting on the sheer number of research activities we’ve completed set our minds at ease. From contextual inquiries with NASA flight controllers in Houston to play-testing with our classmates via Zoom, we’ve cast a wide research net.
We’re all a little like astronauts right now
There is still one research activity we’ve yet to share with you: our isolation diary study. As the world continues to quarantine, Katie noticed a unique opportunity to study the effects of isolation on mood, productivity, and everyday life.
An astronaut on her way to Mars will be stuck with the same three crewmates for months on end, so any solution we as a team create will live in a context of isolation. Understanding how this unique circumstance affects problem solving and decision-making will be crucial.
Katie put out an initial survey request on Reddit for participants in a ten day diary study and received over 200 responses. Close to 100 people completed the full ten days, proving that nice people on the Internet do in fact still exist. Katie is still in the throes of synthesis, so stay tuned for a full update next post.
Narrowing in on a solution space
With synthesis coming to an end, we began the process of narrowing in on a solution space to design for in the summer. Our initial prompt from NASA went broad: help astronauts diagnose anomalies. But our research pointed to the myriad of ways this problem could be tackled, and our evaluative research validated a number of needs.
Do we design for training on the ground? Just-in-time training in space? Do we focus on creating usable data platforms on the ship? Human factors affecting decision-making? All of the above?
To help us answer these questions, we designed a feasibility/value matrix. On one axis, we plotted the solutions by value to our stakeholders at NASA. On the other, we plotted the feasibility of our ideas in light of our summer timeframe and access to resources. From the highly valuable but widely unfeasible (redesigning the ship, anyone?) to the highly feasible yet low-value (fun fact: astronauts lose tools all the time), we were able to create a useful visual for narrowing the space.
From this exercise, three solution areas stood out to us:
- Combining historical data and telemetry into data platforms on the ship
- Creating just-in-time training tools for diagnosis on the way to Mars
- Making diagnostic workflow tools that encourage best practice while documenting process for easy transmission to the ground
Introducing our final ~space~
After much internal debate and client consultation, we’ve decided on designing for the following question this summer:
How might we situate diagnostic tools in a workflow that encourages crew members to think clearly, rationally, and critically?
Throughout our research process, we’ve seen how a plethora of factors can keep a range of professionals from following best practice. The physical and psychological factors that affect engineers on the ground will only be multiplied for crew members in space. Additionally, mission control will remain integral to mission success despite the communication delay. Embedded tools have the power to document astronaut actions and processes for easier transmission to the ground, empowering all stakeholders to work efficiently and effectively.
What’s next?
With our solution space chosen, we’re focused solely on perfecting our spring presentation for the next couple of weeks, but we’re looking forward to diving back into the design process over the summer.
This Week’s Media Recommendation
Last week, NASA announced it will be sending astronauts to space from American soil for the first time in almost nine years with a rocket built by SpaceX. To celebrate, enjoy this video of SpaceX’s StarLink satellites putting on a show over England.
