Project Use Case

Future Flight Deck

Flight deck design is a multi-faceted problem - aspects to consider include interface technologies, ergonomics, materials technology, crew resource management, workflow and process, and full system architecture design. Paired with a safety critical, highly regulated, technology constrained industry, it is a complex discipline to research and develop new technologies for. As a designer, the challenges involve balancing a focus on big picture, full spectrum concepts, with detail orientated, safety critical design aspects.

Project Overview

The time from concept creation to idea validation in the aviation industry can often take years, and utilizes expensive commercial tools.

The result of Purple Sky was a flight deck simulator that enabled the rapid design and testing of modern control interfaces such as touch, gesture and voice control. Along with a complimentary design thinking process, the prototyping platform enabled a full research life cycle, from initial concepts to onboard system testing.

As a flight deck design expert and UX Lead, my role included education, research, workshop facilitation, concept creation, design and testing. My work directly resulted in continued research funding, positive customer commitments and several patents.

Purple Sky Flight Deck Prototype
Role

Design Lead,
Flight Deck Expertise

Team

California Team: UX Designer (Me); Visual Designer; Program Manager; Architecture Engineer; UI/HMI Engineer.
Extended Team in China, Mexico, UK & USA.

Problem

Flight Deck development is slow and hampered by convoluted technology stacks. Concepts can often take years to develop before they are even ready to test.

Mission

Develop a value-tested, next generation concept of operation flight deck design, with support for POC-to-product tool-chain strategy and development.

Outcome

Positive interest and support from customers for continued and future engagement.
Continued support from the company in the form of research funding and executive champions. Official Announcement at Farnborough Airshow 2018.

Process

Research

  • Analysis of customer request.
  • Field Research at Dassault 7x Flight Training.
  • Market Research of state of the art flight deck technology.
  • Hardware scoping with consideration for Flight Deck Size, industry and commercial market availability of parts, ergonomics, FAA regulations and projected use cases.
  • Assessment of state of the art user interface technologies to include into the design: AR, VR, Hand/Gesture Motion, Body Motion, Voice & Eye Gaze, & Teaming Interfaces.

FFD Process
Ideation

  • Hosted several co-creation workshops with cross functional teams of pilots, flight deck experts, and engineers
  • Developed detailed storyboards and journeys to support the creation of cohesive use cases.
  • Ideated novel interaction patterns using off-the-shelf modern HMI technologies.
  • Validated early ideas through user testing and 'body storming' strategies with low fidelity prototypes.

FFD Process
Purple Sky Flight Deck Prototype

The journey map I created during the research and design phase of the full flight life cycle, with swim lanes for the pilot, co-pilot, aircraft systems and ATC.

Design

  • Refined and developed concepts from the ideation stages into full workflows, information architecture models, and interaction patterns, iterating and evolving the designs when required.
  • Continued to validate ideas through medium fidelity testing such as clickable prototypes.
  • Directed visual design for final UI presentation.

FFD Process
Prototype and Test

  • Worked closely with engineers to develop, test and iterate the designs during implementation.
  • Developed testing procedures for quantitative and qualitative analysis.
  • Gathered and analysed testing results and feedback, and created recommendations for improvement for the UX design of the flight deck, and the entire development cycle.

FFD Process

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