NASA Space Apps | 48 Hr. Hackathon

Awarded 3rd place in the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2023 (Miami) by conceptualizing an interplanetary travel booking app for a future space-faring society.

View Prototype

Project Summary

For the 2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge, I teamed up with two software engineers to create Orrery, a concept app that earned 3rd place in Miami. Designed as a futuristic space tourism planner, it helps users explore planets, build custom itineraries, and learn about NASA missions through an educational role-playing experience.

Prompt & Objective:

Design a tool that acts as a futuristic space tourism planner, allowing users to build customized itineraries to destinations like Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn. The tool should also educate present-day users about planets and NASA missions through a fun, role-playing experience. Using NASA data and visuals, the experience should spark curiosity about space exploration while guiding users through site highlights, travel logistics, and interactive learning moments.

At Glance:

AUG 24, 4:00 PM | HACKATHON STARTS

Problem Space is Announced

With just 24 hours to research, draft a solution, test, and program, we wasted no time. We dove in immediately, working until 2 AM to finalize our notes and lay the groundwork. By 6:30 AM, we were back at it, determined to make the most of every minute and deliver a well-rounded solution.

Exhausted but determined, we stayed until we had a solid foundation to build on. The first four hours of the hackathon were spent diving deep into planning, brainstorming, and conducting preliminary research to fully understand the topic and set ourselves up for success.

Using the research we gathered, we developed a persona that accurately represented a "new-to-cruise" individual. By analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, we identified key motivations, behaviors, and pain points typical of first-time cruisers, ensuring our design addressed their specific needs and expectations.

AUG 25, 4:00 PM | SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Time to Present!

All pencils down, Figma closed, and laptops tucked away!” The time was up, and it was time to present our project to Royal Caribbean stakeholders. Showcasing our idea to industry professionals was undeniably nerve-wracking, but we held our ground and received positive feedback on both our presentation and proposed solution. Knowing it was crucial to highlight progress from both the engineering and design perspectives, we divided the presentation between team members from each discipline. This allowed us to clearly articulate how our collaborative process led to the final solution, demonstrating a seamless blend of creativity and technical execution.

AUG 25, 6:00 PM | WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Winners are Announced

Although we didn’t win this time, participating in a hackathon for the first time was an incredibly rewarding experience. Collaborating with engineers and fellow UX designers in such an intensive environment was unlike anything I’d done before. Watching four other teams present their projects was inspiring, and the winning team was undoubtedly deserving of their victory.

Thank You!

Fancy seeing you all the way down here! I'd like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to look at my work. Feel free to connect with me via Linkedin or email with any questions, suggestion, or comments.