The Stellar Forecast

Ever wonder what constellations you’ll be able to see tonight? Or maybe you’re curious what phase the moon will be. Explore the universe with The Stellar Forecast, your personal astronomy guide.

The Stellar Forecast is a tool designed for backyard astronomers and stargazers alike. This action provides weekly updates, keeping you informed on current events in the world of astronomy. The action can also inform you about what constellations are above and tell about the myths and legends behind these famous star patterns.

Explore these features and learn about our relationship with the universe with The Stellar Forecast.

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Design process

Persona

For many voice applications, personas are used by designers to give their actions a distinct personality. Here is a graphic that describes Vera, the voice behind The Stellar Forecast.

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Research

The Stellar Forecast is an educational tool designed for amateur astronomers. With that said, it is important that the information presented to users is scientifically accurate. The information presented is gathered from a variety of credible sources including NASA, The American Astronomical Society, and other trusted sources. Where possible, sources are cited and links are provided for further reading.

Side Note: If you have never had the pleasure of exploring the NASA image archive, do yourself a favor and use the link here.

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Weekly Stellar Forecast

One of the main features of this action is The Weekly Stellar Forecast. This forecast is a narrated briefing (by yours truly!) that provides users with the latest updates in the world of astronomy. From meteor showers to planetary alignments, there is always something new to keep an eye out for in the night sky.

To update The Weekly Stellar Forecast, a process occurs behind the scenes. It begins with the creation of a script based on research. After I have researched and scripted out the weeks events, I turn on the mic and record the audio. Once complete, the audio is edited; mistakes are removed, noise is reduced, tracks are leveled and a few other tweaks are made. The final result is a completed audio file that can be uploaded and shared with listeners of The Stellar Forecast.

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Database

Under the hood, a database runs in the background to retrieve relevant information about the night sky. Routine maintenance was performed to refresh weekly updates, image files, and other related information. This database makes it simple for the action to recall relevant information the user may request.

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User Testing Takeaways

User testing is a major aspect involved in the evolution of The Stellar Forecast. After watching testers interact with the skill, I discovered areas where the skill could improve. Here are three major takeaways learned from user testing:

1. Always provide users with an explicit exit. The first version of the skill left users in an endless loop where they were repeatedly prompted to ask about facts. I watched one of my testers struggle to navigate away from the skill after he had enough. This issue was solved by adding prompts that informed users how they can exit the flow when they’re finished.
2. Keep it simple. Navigation continued to be a struggle for users. To simplify this process, I reduced the number of suggested follow-up prompts. Now users can follow the suggestions or ask what other functions the skill has to learn more.
3. Anticipate and handle relevant requests. One of my testers got the hang of asking for facts about stars and constellations. She then began to ask about planets, intents which I had not added to the skill. A general prompt handling all these relevant unknown requests took care of this issue.

“I’m not sure about that subject yet but I’m learning new things everyday!”

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Additional Processes

This project also involved many other processes including continuous iterations of conversational flow, adding logic with a webhook (Node.js), integration with Dialogflow and digital art creation.

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