In Search of Space
Designed a data visualization experience that mapped space missions from 1957 to 2020. The goal was to make dense, technical data feel human—turning spreadsheets and stats into a compelling, scrollable story about the history of space exploration.
Challenge
Space data is massive and fragmented. Most formats are either too technical or too dry, requiring users to dig for insights. I wanted to create an experience that didn’t demand expertise to understand—something that felt intuitive from the first scroll.
Opportunity
I saw a chance to turn this complexity into something visual and narrative-led. Rather than static charts behind dropdowns, I envisioned a data story that encouraged exploration, revealed trends, and made patterns feel obvious without oversimplifying the content.
User Research
Before diving into design, I interviewed students, designers, and data enthusiasts to understand how people interact with complex visual data.
“I love seeing patterns visually, but when there’s too much happening, I get overwhelmed fast.”
“It’s cool to see trends, but I need clarity first before diving into details.”
Users helped me realize the challenge wasn’t the volume of data—it was the lack of a clear path through it.
Approach
I focused on creating structure without reducing depth. The design needed to support both quick exploration and detailed analysis, letting users move at their own pace.
Circular timeline to convey movement through time and a sense of continuity.
Color coding to help users quickly identify mission outcomes without relying on legends.
Layered views to support both quick scanning and deeper exploration.
Minimal visual style to keep the focus on patterns rather than presentation.
Final Designs
The final experience combines clean visuals with interactive layers. Users can scroll through decades of space missions, filter by type or region, and see patterns emerge in real time. With each scroll, the data reveals a bit more—turning information into discovery.
Breakdown
The visualization is split into two parts. The first offers a high-level view using a circular timeline to show mission activity over time. The second dives deeper, highlighting patterns in spending, rocket types, and national contributions.
This circular timeline maps over 4,000 space missions from 1957 to 2020. Each dot represents a single launch, placed by date and outcome to surface long-term trends.
Shapes indicate the country responsible for the launch. Colors show the mission outcome—active, failed, retired, or upcoming. The farther a dot is from the center, the older the mission.
The second half dives deeper into the data—revealing which countries launched the most missions, how space budgets evolved, rocket performance metrics, and national activity trends.
User Reactiopns
I shared the finished prototype with peers and early testers. The response was encouraging:
“I love that I can just scroll and see history unfold visually—no manual decoding needed.”
“The orbit layout feels natural for something about space. Smart choice.”
“Would love to interact with specific countries and companies—maybe in a future version?”
What I Learned
Structure creates meaning. It’s not about simplifying data, but about helping users navigate complexity with clarity.
Pacing matters. Thoughtful data design allows users to pause, scan, and discover—without feeling overwhelmed.
Research is the foundation. Early conversations helped define the direction and saved valuable time during design.
Next Project
Brought the film’s emotional world online with a vibrant, single-page site full of personality and rhythm.
Let’s build something meaningful!
Got a project in mind or want to talk design? I’m always open to new ideas and collaborations.