How to launch more rockets

Artificial Intelligence

Leadership

Modular Design

10 Weeks

Overview

This UX case study outlines a groundbreaking project undertaken in collaboration with Deloitte as part of a SCADpro initiative. Faced with the challenge of minimizing launch disruptions for satellite launches, the project aimed to leverage environmental, weather, and flight-path data to provide sophisticated launch scheduling recommendations. At the heart of the solution was an AI-powered design process, innovatively incorporating quantum computing to identify optimal launch windows, predict potential issues, and simulate the cascading impacts on future launches.

My Role

As the project lead for the UX and design team, my role encompassed overseeing the user interface design, integrating AI and quantum computing insights into a cohesive user experience, and ensuring that our solution effectively met the end-users' needs. This included coordinating between data scientists, quantum computing experts, and the design team to translate complex data into actionable insights within the user interface.

Highlights

Problem

"We are scheduling rocket launches with excel sheets"

The primary problem we aimed to solve was the high rate of launch disruptions due to unforeseen environmental and weather conditions, as well as suboptimal flight-path planning. These disruptions result in costly delays and can significantly impact the scheduling and financial forecasting for companies involved in satellite launches. The challenge was to create a tool that could provide accurate, data-driven scheduling recommendations to minimize these disruptions.

Solution

The solution was a smart user interface that served as the bridge between various components, including environmental data, weather forecasts, flight-path analytics, and quantum computing insights. This interface was designed to provide end-users with an intuitive, accessible platform for managing launch schedules, predicting potential issues, and making informed decisions based on a comprehensive analysis of available data.

Approach

How might we...

The project team adopted a user-centered design approach, beginning with extensive research to understand the needs and pain points of our target users. This involved interviews with stakeholders in the satellite launch industry, analysis of previous launch data, and workshops with experts in meteorology, aerospace, and quantum computing. Our research highlighted the need for a highly intuitive interface that could present complex data in a user-friendly manner.

We then moved into the ideation phase, where we explored various concepts for visualizing and interacting with the data. This included prototyping different interfaces for displaying weather conditions, flight paths, and quantum computing predictions.

Design

The design process was iterative, with continuous testing and feedback from potential users shaping the development of the interface. We focused on creating a dashboard that could aggregate and visualize data in real-time, providing users with an at-a-glance overview of all factors affecting launch schedules. Key features included a dynamic timeline of launch windows, alerts for potential issues based on predictive analytics, and simulation tools to explore the impacts of different scheduling decisions.

We utilized quantum computing to process vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, enabling real-time updates and predictions. The integration of this technology required close collaboration with quantum computing experts to ensure the accuracy and relevancy of the data provided through the interface.

Impact

The project significantly impacted the satellite launch industry, offering providers a powerful tool to make more informed decisions and minimize launch disruptions. By leveraging quantum computing and AI, the tool could predict potential issues well in advance, allowing for proactive adjustments to launch schedules. This not only reduced costs associated with delays but also improved the reliability and efficiency of satellite launches.

Reflection

Leading this project was a profoundly enriching experience, pushing the boundaries of UX design and showcasing the potential of integrating advanced technologies like AI and quantum computing into user interfaces. The project underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for designers to understand and incorporate complex data and technologies into solutions that are accessible and intuitive for users.

This case study not only demonstrates the power of innovative UX design in solving real-world problems but also offers valuable insights into the potential of quantum computing to transform data analysis and decision-making processes across industries.