Summary
When you hear the phrase “Space Industry,” you probably associate it with words like “futuristic” and “cutting edge.” That’s certainly the case for private space companies, but not within the Department of Defense. Until recently, our nation’s satellites have been operated by applications with inconsistent 1990s interfaces, and DoD operators have suffered because of it. But thanks to an Enterprise UX Design Company (coincidentally named “Rocket Communications”), that’s all changing. This is the incredible story of how the first UX Design System for Space Applications came to be, and what it– and Rocket– has done to transform the DoD Space Enterprise.
Key Insights
-
•
Military space relies heavily on satellites critical to everyday civilian and defense operations.
-
•
Thousands of satellites and debris orbit Earth, creating unprecedented space congestion and collision risks.
-
•
Military satellite software systems are built in silos by various contractors, leading to fragmented UX.
-
•
Outdated software interfaces cause steep learning curves and operational inefficiencies for space operators.
-
•
The US military considers itself engaged in a real war in space due to threats from China and Russia.
-
•
Poor UX in satellite control software poses national security risks beyond simple inconvenience.
-
•
Rocket Communications helped initiate UX transformation in military satellite systems starting with Harris Corporation.
-
•
Military hierarchy and culture can intimidate civilian contractors but authenticity is more valuable than conformity.
-
•
The Astro enterprise UX design system evolved over years into a mandated standard across SMC and defense contractors.
-
•
Prototypes and live demos are crucial to convincing large defense contractors to adopt new UX systems.
Notable Quotes
"Our modern way of life is actually really dependent on satellites."
"Space is congested, with thousands of satellites and tens of thousands of debris pieces orbiting Earth."
"This poor young airman is not entering into a super cool sci-fi command center but using apps built by their grandparents."
"These applications were designed by engineers for engineers without interviewing the operators."
"China blew up one of their satellites with a missile, creating tons of debris, proving they can threaten our satellites."
"I had to learn their military culture, but I realized they actually wanted people who weren’t part of the military."
"If you see a person standing alone, even if that person’s a CEO, walk up to them."
"Military contractors didn’t have design teams; most had never invested in UX design before."
"It became a mandate this year for companies to use Astro for all applications in enterprise cross-mission ground."
"Nearly 30 years into my career, I’m doing the most rewarding work of my life helping modernize military space systems."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Trauma-informed approaches are like seat belts and airbags for tech products."
Carol Scott Melissa EgglestonAvoid Harming Your Team and Users: Promoting Care and Brand Reputation with Trauma-Informed UX Practices
February 5, 2025
"Being fluent in multiple data languages and understanding behavioral and attitudinal data will be essential."
Lija Hogan Milan Mijatovic Sam Proulx Louis RosenfeldThree Years Out: Perspectives on the Near-Term Future of User Research
March 15, 2024
"There’s just far fewer variables to deal with on mobile because it’s basically one browser and one screen reader per platform."
Sam ProulxMobile Accessibility and You
June 9, 2022
"Remote work is totally different from working from home during a worldwide pandemic."
Ana FerreiraDesigning Distributed: Leading Doist’s Fully Remote Design Team in Six Countries
January 8, 2024
"I made sure the LLM would only use terms from my predefined taxonomy, but it still introduced some of its own tags."
Jorge ArangoScale Smart: AI-Powered Content Organization Strategies
September 24, 2024
"Using work structure as a taxonomy for knowledge failed due to frequent reorganizations; switching to a jobs-to-be-done taxonomy gave us stability."
Chris MosesStretching the Definition of DesignOps with Product Development
November 7, 2018
"Even though we’ve got a single dropdown field, it maps to a far richer set of instructions in the prompt."
Trisha Causley[Demo] Complexity in disguise: Crafting experiences for generative AI features
June 5, 2024
"It’s critical to measure perceived value and ask: Are you really solving the right problem with AI?"
Clara Kliman-SilverUX Futures: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Design
June 7, 2023
"Designers are now represented in executive leadership, which was unheard of five years ago."
Michael PolivkaScaling Design through Relationship Maps
November 7, 2017
