Ryan BeckemeyerStorytime with Jet Propulsion Labs
2018
NASA JPL
Moore Boeck
Duration
9 months Contribution
Lead DesignerStakeholders & Team
Co-founder, 2 Designer, 1 Researcher, 5 Engineers
Objective

Centralize interactive features to allow producers at NASA to easily craft compelling stories.

OutcomesResearch from this intitiative was used to improve filtering within features and image galleries, tighten up ambiguous navigation patterns, and simplify content management of complex features.

In the end, this project was shelved due to a lack of funding. The plan was to assess its impact by measuring the time saved by producers and the number of features deployed to determine the overall value of the self-service improvements.

I learned valuable business and project management lessons during this initiative. Particularly the importance of clearly understanding your stakeholders’ objectives, which can be just as crucial as understanding your users.
ResearchMany of the features within the platform were built to service individual projects initiated by different groups at JPL. Some of the projects originated as kiosks while others had varying degrees of funding which produced a noticable difference in feature output. The goal of this research was to measure the value of existing features and consolidate their interactions to expedite story deployments through self-service.Many of the features within the platform were built to service individual projects initiated by different groups at JPL. Some of the projects originated as kiosks while others had varying degrees of funding which produced a noticable difference in feature quality. The goal of this research was to measure the value of existing features and consolidate them to expedite story deployments through self-service.

I established a research practice to identify key opportunities across the properties. This included:

  • Hiring research consultants to aid in recruiting, moderating, and synthesizing data
  • Installing a research lab at the Moore Boeck offices, complete with remote monitoring capabilities
  • Moderating qualitative studies and data synthesis




01

The Eyes products were first on the list. They originated as kiosks for science centers and were later adapted for use on the web. Customers loved the products but struggled to navigate them when tasked with anything beyond exploration. To remedy this, we introduced filtering that allowed them to explore with more intention.



02

Chapter architecture


I initially used a playbill design for chapters to be embedded into the existing CMS article template. This was simple to manage but lacked depth.



To improve upon this, I implemented a modular hero system that could exist within the articles as well as on its own.

Cascading logic included in this design:

  • Video backdrop > poster image > background color
  • Chapter title > chapter number
  • Optional descriptions
  • Automated calls to action for standalone use: e.g. table contents, related articles, etc.



content area