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Chandra X-Ray Center

What is Chandra?

 

The Chandra X-ray Center is the center that manages an x-ray telescope that has been in orbit for over 20 years and is considered one of NASA's 'Great Observatories'.

 

My Role

 

I acted as sole UX designer for this project, working with an astronomer project manager and development team.

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The Challenge

 

Any scientist that wants to use this telescope must apply for time by submitting a proposal before the mid-March deadline. Anywhere from 500 - 700 proposals may be submitted during an application cycle that starts in early December. The former proposal system was outdated and dysfunctional. In the weeks before the deadline, staff would work overtime to answer helpdesk tickets submitted by confused scientists. This system was in dire need of a redesign.

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Goal

 

Create a new proposal submission system that addresses the problems of the old system for a straightforward experience.

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Duration

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8 months

Galaxy

The Persona

Persona

The persona here is John, an astronomer in the prime of his career.

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While highly intelligent and educated, he has evaded adopting modern interfaces. He likes to stick to what he's used for many years.

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Consider this direct quote from a colleague who said "The day I'm forced to adopt gmail is the day I retire."

User Research

I interviewed a few colleagues who were new enough to the institute to be fresh eyes, but had been around long enough to have experience. I questioned them regarding their experiences submitting Chandra proposals and what that process looks like for them.

Major Pain Points:

1

Users want prompt confirmation that their proposal was received as they work very close to the deadline.

2

Users need a better way to save their proposal as their workflow is often segmented​.

3

Users need to be fully confident that everything in the proposal is correct before submitting.

Wireframes

Wireframe

I explored a couple different versions of the workflow by creating wireframes with balsamiq mockups.

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The software makes it easy to create sketch wireframes. This shifted the focus to the features of the software rather than details of the proposal.

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Areas of focus:

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  1. Organization

  2. Workflow

  3. Clarity

Usability Tests

I conducted two moderated usability studies onsite with a couple of my colleagues that reasonably fit the persona. They were incentivized to conduct the study. Each study lasted about 30 minutes. We reviewed two different proposed user flows.

Findings:

1

Missing information on home page.

2

Desired ability to skip sections.

3

Navigation, organization, and in-progress validation was well-received.

Mockups

Login
Home
Targets
Submit

UI design:

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  • Brand identity to inspire confidence

  • Modern & clean, but not overdone

  • Accessibility considerations (50+ user age)

High-Fidelity Prototype

Results

To implement the software, I worked with the astronomer project manager and the development team to create an MVP for the December release. We conducted load tests and had to refine some features.

 

​In the weeks approaching the deadline, the help desk was carefully monitored. Despite the new software, questions were down 80% & have continued decreasing in the years since. Overall, the system was very well-received. 

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