STARJAMMER
Yamoto 6.1
Satellite Tracking · Harnessing the Power of Space for Global Connectivity
Executive Summary
StarJammer Yamoto 6.1 is a real-time, multi-platform satellite tracking platform built to serve a radically diverse user base — from professional aerospace operators and JAXA researchers to amateur astronomers, educators, and the general public. This case study documents the complete design journey: from problem discovery through AI-augmented design to the delivery of a scalable, accessible, and commercially differentiated product.
Stakeholder interviews, competitor analysis, heuristic evaluation
12 personas · 6 segments · card sorting · journey mapping
Lo-fi wireframes → AI-augmented Hi-Fi · Yamoto 6.1 system
Findings report · component library · engineering handoff
One Interface, Many Users
StarJammer's core dashboard delivered formidable technical capability — but a single-register, expert-coded interface that excluded the majority of its intended user base. Early heuristic reviews surfaced five engagement-killing patterns threatening retention.
8 of 12 personas experienced immediate, often terminal friction at first launch with no onboarding scaffold in place.
High-emotion events — ISS passes, close approaches — had no outward path. Six personas identified this as their highest unmet need.
The telemetry panel showed only live values. Researchers needing trend analysis were forced into external tools entirely.
The AI Mission Assistant was a generic corner prompt. Seven personas could derive substantial value — but the connection was never made.
A JAXA researcher and a 10-year-old in a classroom cannot share the same information density. Mode-switching architecture was entirely absent.
Research Approach
A four-week mixed-methods sprint combining stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, card sorting, and qualitative usability evaluation across all 12 personas.
Stakeholder interviews · Competitor analysis · Heuristic evaluation · Industry benchmarks
Card sorting for IA · 12 persona deep-dives · Journey mapping across 5 lifecycle stages
Lo-fi wireframes → AI-augmented Hi-Fi → Design system Yamoto 6.1
Qualitative usability evaluation · Inductive & deductive coding · Saturation testing
Where AI Accelerates, Humans Decide
AI was integrated as a collaborative design partner throughout — accelerating synthesis, generating visual assets, and scaling documentation. Human judgment shaped every decision. Neither alone was sufficient.
- Empathy & intuition
- Contextual judgment
- Ethical framing
- Stakeholder trust
- Lived experience
- Pattern recognition
- Synthesis at scale
- Rapid iteration
- Documentation velocity
- Asset generation
Pattern identification across 12 persona profiles and usability coding data — weeks of manual synthesis reduced to days.
High-fidelity UI imagery, orbital visualisations, and branding assets iterated rapidly with AI image tools.
Component specs, token documentation, and Yamoto 6.1 design system guide produced on an accelerated schedule.
Alert copy, onboarding microcopy, and settings labels across 100+ UI strings drafted with AI assistance and human editorial review.
Strategic Value
The StarJammer UX programme created the architectural and research foundation for a platform that can serve the full spectrum of the space-tracking market — from defence operators to 10-year-olds discovering the ISS for the first time.
Sharing layer unlocks viral discovery. Every unshareable wonder moment was a missed acquisition event. Story Cards fix that.
Persona-aware onboarding and mode switching reduce early churn across all 6 segments — especially the 8 personas hitting terminal friction.
Classroom Mode and Family Mode open StarJammer to education and consumer markets well beyond professional operators.
No direct competitor offers AI-assisted satellite operations with persona-aware modes. StarJammer defines the category.
PLG funnel with free trial, seamless upgrade flow, and retention architecture optimises lifetime customer value.
AI-augmented workflow delivered a comprehensive UX programme and full design system on an accelerated 4-week timeline.