ciTa

Designing an accessible and engaging platform from the ground up for exploring theoretical astrophysics research and comparing observational data.

Role

Project Manager &UX Designer

Employer

University of Toronto

backgrouNd

Challenges

Platforms

Notion, Figma, Illustrator

Areas

Project Management, Product Design, UX Design

The Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) sought to create a new observatory portal to support its mission of advancing astrophysics research and education. The platform needed to:

  • Be accessible to a diverse audience, from amateur astronomy enthusiasts to professional scientists.

  • Enable users to compare telescope data and visualize results through interactive graphs.

  • Strike a balance between professional functionality and an inviting, playful design to appeal to casual users.

This project was built entirely from scratch, requiring a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive understanding of user needs and scientific tools in a specialized field.

Knowledge Gap: As a team without prior experience in astronomy, we had to quickly familiarize ourselves with the field to design an effective portal.

Balancing Needs: Creating a platform that felt approachable for casual users while meeting the technical demands of researchers.

Team Capacity: Navigating the loss of two UX designers mid-project while staying on track with tight deadlines.

apprOach

As project manager and product designer, I contributed to the project by:

  1. Understanding the Domain

    • Conducted interviews with CITA researchers to grasp key astrophysics concepts and the intended use of the portal.

    • Collaborated with subject-matter experts to ensure the design met technical and scientific needs.

  2. Stakeholder Collaboration

    • Facilitated bi-weekly meetings with CITA to present progress, gather feedback, and clarify objectives.

    • Partnered closely with the UofT web development team to ensure seamless translation of designs into code.

  3. Design Contribution

    • Designed several key pages of the portal to support the UX team, ensuring consistency in style and usability.

    • Focused on creating user-friendly layouts and integrating interactive features for data comparison and visualization.

  4. Team Coordination

    • Organized weekly sprints with detailed task tickets and regular check-ins to maintain momentum.

    • Provided guidance and feedback to the design team to align with project goals and deadlines.

  5. User-Centered Design

    • Prioritized accessibility and intuitive navigation to ensure the portal served a wide range of users effectively.

    • Worked with graphic designers to create a clean yet playful visual style, reflecting CITA’s vision.

UDesign