Aura
Aura
Aura
A connected travel companion that combines smart earbuds, a mobile app, and
AI-assisted recommendations to help passengers manage in-flight motion sickness.
A connected travel companion that combines smart earbuds, a mobile app, and AI-assisted recommendations to help passengers manage in-flight motion sickness.
A connected travel companion that combines smart earbuds, a mobile app, and AI-assisted recommendations to help passengers manage in-flight motion sickness.
UI/UX Design
Human-AI Interaction
Strategic Product Discovery
I led product definition and helped connect the hardware, software, and AI experiences. I developed the product requirements, guided the app architecture and earbud design, and explored proactive AI recommendations informed by usability testing.
I led product definition and helped connect the hardware, software, and AI experiences. I developed the product requirements, guided the app architecture and earbud design, and explored proactive AI recommendations informed by usability testing.
I led product definition and helped connect the hardware, software, and AI experiences. I developed the product requirements, guided the app architecture and earbud design, and explored proactive AI recommendations informed by usability testing.
Role:
Product Design Lead
Team:
5-person Multidisciplinary Team
Duration:
5 weeks // 2025
Coontext:
UW MHCI+D
Role:
Product Design Lead
Team:
Product Management + Engineering
Duration:
5 weeks // 2025
Coontext:
UW MHCI+D
Role:
Product Design Lead
Team:
5-person Multidisciplinary Team
Duration:
5 weeks // 2025
Coontext:
UW MHCI+D
// The Problem
Limited Control Over In-Flight Discomfort
Passengers experiencing motion sickness have limited ways to manage their discomfort during a flight. Existing remedies often require preparation or active intervention, which can become difficult as symptoms develop. Our research revealed an opportunity to make in-flight support more accessible, discreet, and responsive to passenger needs.
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// The Problem
Limited Control Over In-Flight Discomfort
Passengers experiencing motion sickness have limited ways to manage their discomfort during a flight. Existing remedies often require preparation or active intervention, which can become difficult as symptoms develop. Our research revealed an opportunity to make in-flight support more accessible, discreet, and responsive to passenger needs.
Image Caption Here
// The Problem
Limited Control Over In-Flight Discomfort
Passengers experiencing motion sickness have limited ways to manage their discomfort during a flight. Existing remedies often require preparation or active intervention, which can become difficult as symptoms develop. Our research revealed an opportunity to make in-flight support more accessible, discreet, and responsive to passenger needs.
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// The Objective
Making In-Flight Support More Accessible
Explore a connected experience that helps passengers prepare for discomfort, access remedies with minimal effort, and receive timely support throughout their journey. The goal was to bring physical and digital interactions together without adding unnecessary complexity to an already uncomfortable situation.
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// The Objective
Making In-Flight Support More Accessible
Explore a connected experience that helps passengers prepare for discomfort, access remedies with minimal effort, and receive timely support throughout their journey. The goal was to bring physical and digital interactions together without adding unnecessary complexity to an already uncomfortable situation.
Image Caption Here
// The Objective
Making In-Flight Support More Accessible
Explore a connected experience that helps passengers prepare for discomfort, access remedies with minimal effort, and receive timely support throughout their journey. The goal was to bring physical and digital interactions together without adding unnecessary complexity to an already uncomfortable situation.
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// The Result
One Connected Experience, Across the Journey
Aura brings together a companion app, specialized earbuds, and a proposed AI recommendation system to support passengers before and during a flight. The concept combines preparation, discreet physical interactions, and contextual recommendations into a single experience.
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// The Result
One Connected Experience, Across the Journey
Aura brings together a companion app, specialized earbuds, and a proposed AI recommendation system to support passengers before and during a flight. The concept combines preparation, discreet physical interactions, and contextual recommendations into a single experience.
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// The Result
One Connected Experience, Across the Journey
Aura brings together a companion app, specialized earbuds, and a proposed AI recommendation system to support passengers before and during a flight. The concept combines preparation, discreet physical interactions, and contextual recommendations into a single experience.
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Prepare Before the Flight
The companion app helps passengers prepare by organizing flight information, personal preferences, and available remedies in one place. Passengers can explore support options before boarding, reducing the need to search for information when discomfort begins.
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Prepare Before the Flight
The companion app helps passengers prepare by organizing flight information, personal preferences, and available remedies in one place. Passengers can explore support options before boarding, reducing the need to search for information when discomfort begins.
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Prepare Before the Flight
The companion app helps passengers prepare by organizing flight information, personal preferences, and available remedies in one place. Passengers can explore support options before boarding, reducing the need to search for information when discomfort begins.
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Access Support Through AuraBuds
AuraBuds combine audio-based support with accessible physical controls, allowing passengers to interact without constantly reaching for their phones. The design also explores a pressure-regulating ceramic filter as a potential way to address ear discomfort during cabin pressure changes.
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Access Support Through AuraBuds
AuraBuds combine audio-based support with accessible physical controls, allowing passengers to interact without constantly reaching for their phones. The design also explores a pressure-regulating ceramic filter as a potential way to address ear discomfort during cabin pressure changes.
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Access Support Through AuraBuds
AuraBuds combine audio-based support with accessible physical controls, allowing passengers to interact without constantly reaching for their phones. The design also explores a pressure-regulating ceramic filter as a potential way to address ear discomfort during cabin pressure changes.
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Receive Contextual Recommendations
The proposed AI system uses flight conditions, passenger preferences, and relevant history to recommend support when it may be needed. Rather than requiring passengers to search for a remedy, Aura aims to offer timely suggestions while keeping users in control of their experience.
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Receive Contextual Recommendations
The proposed AI system uses flight conditions, passenger preferences, and relevant history to recommend support when it may be needed. Rather than requiring passengers to search for a remedy, Aura aims to offer timely suggestions while keeping users in control of their experience.
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Receive Contextual Recommendations
The proposed AI system uses flight conditions, passenger preferences, and relevant history to recommend support when it may be needed. Rather than requiring passengers to search for a remedy, Aura aims to offer timely suggestions while keeping users in control of their experience.
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// The Process
Exploring and Defining the Product System
We explored a range of app-based, physical, and environmental solutions to address in-flight discomfort. I helped synthesize and prioritize the ideas based on potential user value and development effort. Research into sound-based support led us toward an ear-based concept. This opened an opportunity to connect physical interactions with a mobile app, but also introduced greater system complexity. I translated the selected direction into product requirements, aligning the hardware, software, and AI workstreams around a shared experience.
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// The Process
Exploring and Defining the Product System
We explored a range of app-based, physical, and environmental solutions to address in-flight discomfort. I helped synthesize and prioritize the ideas based on potential user value and development effort. Research into sound-based support led us toward an ear-based concept. This opened an opportunity to connect physical interactions with a mobile app, but also introduced greater system complexity. I translated the selected direction into product requirements, aligning the hardware, software, and AI workstreams around a shared experience.
Image Caption Here
// The Process
Exploring and Defining the Product System
We explored a range of app-based, physical, and environmental solutions to address in-flight discomfort. I helped synthesize and prioritize the ideas based on potential user value and development effort. Research into sound-based support led us toward an ear-based concept. This opened an opportunity to connect physical interactions with a mobile app, but also introduced greater system complexity. I translated the selected direction into product requirements, aligning the hardware, software, and AI workstreams around a shared experience.
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Exploring Multiple Directions
Our early concepts ranged from standalone digital tools to physical and environmental interventions, helping us understand different ways to address passenger needs.
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Exploring Multiple Directions
Our early concepts ranged from standalone digital tools to physical and environmental interventions, helping us understand different ways to address passenger needs.
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Exploring Multiple Directions
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Evaluating Value and Effort
We compared concepts based on potential impact and development complexity to guide the team's direction.
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Evaluating Value and Effort
We compared concepts based on potential impact and development complexity to guide the team's direction.
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Evaluating Value and Effort
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Defining the System
I established product requirements and component responsibilities to connect the app, AuraBuds, and proposed intelligent support.
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Defining the System
I established product requirements and component responsibilities to connect the app, AuraBuds, and proposed intelligent support.
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Defining the System
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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// The Hardware
Giving AuraBuds a Reason to Exist
The sound-based solution raised a fundamental question: if existing earbuds could deliver the audio, why would passengers need dedicated hardware? I challenged this assumption and revisited our competitive research, including hands-on exploration of EarPlanes. This led me to define additional functions that could differentiate AuraBuds, balancing passenger benefits with hardware complexity. I translated these opportunities into hardware requirements and supported early form exploration, helping guide my teammate's detailed industrial design development.
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// The Hardware
Giving AuraBuds a Reason to Exist
The sound-based solution raised a fundamental question: if existing earbuds could deliver the audio, why would passengers need dedicated hardware? I challenged this assumption and revisited our competitive research, including hands-on exploration of EarPlanes. This led me to define additional functions that could differentiate AuraBuds, balancing passenger benefits with hardware complexity. I translated these opportunities into hardware requirements and supported early form exploration, helping guide my teammate's detailed industrial design development.
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// The Hardware
Giving AuraBuds a Reason to Exist
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Challenging the Need for Dedicated Hardware
If the primary intervention was sound, existing earbuds could potentially provide it. I questioned whether adding proprietary hardware would offer enough value to justify its cost and complexity.
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Challenging the Need for Dedicated Hardware
If the primary intervention was sound, existing earbuds could potentially provide it. I questioned whether adding proprietary hardware would offer enough value to justify its cost and complexity.
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Challenging the Need for Dedicated Hardware
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Exploring Pressure Regulation Through EarPlanes
I tested EarPlanes firsthand to understand its pressure-regulating approach. The experience inspired a conceptual ceramic-filter feature that could address pressure-related ear discomfort during takeoff and landing.
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Exploring Pressure Regulation Through EarPlanes
I tested EarPlanes firsthand to understand its pressure-regulating approach. The experience inspired a conceptual ceramic-filter feature that could address pressure-related ear discomfort during takeoff and landing.
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Exploring Pressure Regulation Through EarPlanes
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Defining What AuraBuds Needed to Deliver
I defined hardware requirements around pressure regulation, contextual sensing, and discreet physical controls. These requirements informed the team's earbud concept, while detailed CAD development and physical prototyping were led by my teammate.
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Defining What AuraBuds Needed to Deliver
I defined hardware requirements around pressure regulation, contextual sensing, and discreet physical controls. These requirements informed the team's earbud concept, while detailed CAD development and physical prototyping were led by my teammate.
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Defining What AuraBuds Needed to Deliver
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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// The AI System
From Manual Remedies to Proactive Support
Usability testing revealed that participants wanted remedies to be offered automatically rather than searching for and selecting them while experiencing discomfort. I used this feedback to explore an AI-assisted recommendation model, connecting passenger preferences, history, and situational context to more timely support.
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From Manual Remedies to Proactive Support
Usability testing revealed that participants wanted remedies to be offered automatically rather than searching for and selecting them while experiencing discomfort. I used this feedback to explore an AI-assisted recommendation model, connecting passenger preferences, history, and situational context to more timely support.
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From Manual Remedies to Proactive Support
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Learning From Usability Testing
Scenario-based testing revealed opportunities to simplify navigation, clarify features, and reduce the effort required to access remedies.
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Learning From Usability Testing
Scenario-based testing revealed opportunities to simplify navigation, clarify features, and reduce the effort required to access remedies.
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Learning From Usability Testing
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Designing the Recommendation Logic
I mapped contextual triggers to potential remedies, exploring how AI could identify relevant support without requiring passengers to search manually.
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Designing the Recommendation Logic
I mapped contextual triggers to potential remedies, exploring how AI could identify relevant support without requiring passengers to search manually.
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Designing the Recommendation Logic
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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Connecting Recommendations to the Experience
The refined concept connects personalized recommendations with app interactions and discreet earbud controls.
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Connecting Recommendations to the Experience
The refined concept connects personalized recommendations with app interactions and discreet earbud controls.
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Connecting Recommendations to the Experience
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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// The Reflection
Designing Across Physical and Digital Experiences
Aura challenged me to think beyond individual product features and consider how hardware, software, and AI could work together around a single user need. The project strengthened my ability to define connected experiences, question product complexity, and translate usability feedback into new interaction models. It also reinforced the importance of validating technical feasibility and AI behavior before moving from a promising concept toward a functional product.
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// The Reflection
Designing Across Physical and Digital Experiences
Aura challenged me to think beyond individual product features and consider how hardware, software, and AI could work together around a single user need. The project strengthened my ability to define connected experiences, question product complexity, and translate usability feedback into new interaction models. It also reinforced the importance of validating technical feasibility and AI behavior before moving from a promising concept toward a functional product.
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// The Reflection
Designing Across Physical and Digital Experiences
Help coordinators draft messages, identify follow-ups, and handle routine communication while keeping them in control.
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