NASA Convergent Aerospace Solutions

Aerospace Healthcare Product Design

Translated cutting-edge aerospace technology into viable healthcare solutions for rural communities, addressing critical emergency medical service gaps through strategic product design research at NASA Langley Research Center.

My Role: Product Design Intern | 16 weeks (Jan-May 2023)

Strategic Challenge

NASA’s Aeronautics division needed to understand how aerospace innovations could solve healthcare access problems in rural America, where traditional emergency medical services face significant operational barriers. The challenge required translating advanced aerospace capabilities into market-ready healthcare products.

Research & Innovation Process

User Research Foundation

Conducted comprehensive interviews with 20 elderly individuals across rural US communities to understand emergency medical care decision-making patterns. This research revealed critical gaps between available technology and actual user needs in high-stakes healthcare situations.

Cross-Functional Design Leadership

Facilitated design sprints with NASA engineering teams, medical professionals, and business strategists to generate innovative healthcare solutions. Applied human-centered design principles to bridge advanced aerospace technology with real-world clinical requirements.

Product Strategy Development

Developed design concepts leveraging NASA’s aerospace expertise for rural healthcare access challenges. Created user journey maps and service blueprints that directly informed technical product specifications and strategic business direction.

Impact & Outcomes

Research findings directly informed NASA’s aerospace healthcare product strategy, establishing a framework for translating aerospace innovations into market-ready healthcare solutions. The work demonstrated how strategic UX thinking applies to complex technical products in high-stakes government and healthcare environments.

This experience showcased the power of user-centered design thinking in translating advanced technology capabilities into meaningful product solutions that address real-world societal challenges.