IPAD WEB APP CASE STUDY
Star Wars 'Galactic Starcruiser'
Guest Itinerary Application
OVERVIEW
Walt Disney Imagineers sought assistance in developing an extraordinary application to support Crew Members and guests alike aboard the new Star Wars-themed resort, the Galactic Starcruiser.
Walt Disney World is unveiling an all-new Star Wars-themed resort experience at Hollywood Studios: the Galactic Starcruiser. This fully immersive adventure transports guests into the heart of the Star Wars universe, where they can embark on interactive missions and encounter iconic characters. With dozens of pre-scheduled events and personalized storylines, Crew Members (Disney’s dedicated employees) need powerful tools to help guests manage their experiences, update affiliation preferences, and perform various support tasks. I collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineers to design and develop a custom application that integrates seamlessly into the Galactic Starcruiser experience—empowering Crew Members to deliver truly epic, personalized adventures for every guest.
ROLE & DETAILS
Lead Product Designer
Cross-Functional Team Collaboration, Wireframing, Design Exploration, Custom Star Wars UI, Documentation
Team
1 Product Designer, 2 Product Owners,
1 Project Manager, 1 Engineer
Timeline
December 2019 – April 2020
Tools
Axure, Sketch, InVision
THE CHALLENGE
"How can we design an application that adapts to evolving user stories, requirements, and designs in tandem with the rapid and dynamic development of a brand-new, world-class Disney resort?"
The challenge was unmistakable: in just a few months, I needed to design, build, and deliver an application based on evolving user stories and create a design system that aligned with the distinct Star Wars aesthetic—all before the resort itself had even been constructed. Given the fluid nature of the project, consistent communication with cross-functional teams was essential to stay aligned on shifting goals and priorities. At the time, the team at Walt Disney Imagineering didn’t have a defined process for approaching this type of work, so I took the initiative to introduce and advocate for an agile, sprint-based workflow. This allowed us to iterate quickly, adapt to changes, and begin building a solution that could grow alongside the resort.
WIREFRAMES
"After reviewing the initial requirements and user stories, I developed wireframes to help align the cross-functional teams around a shared vision."
Creating low-fidelity wireframes early on was key to jumpstarting the process. These initial wireframes weren’t focused on layout or visual design, but rather on identifying the essential components and features. They served as a collaborative tool to align the product owners, project manager, engineering team, and myself. By intentionally keeping them minimal—free of color, imagery, and polished visuals—filled instead with open questions—we minimized distractions and fostered productive discussions. This approach allowed the team to focus on refining requirements and making informed decisions as we moved toward a more detailed design.
DESIGN EXPLORATION
Refining the UI design system through iteration was key to its success.
I was entrusted with creating a completely unique design system, and I approached this by carefully scrutinizing every component and pattern I developed. How should different travel party information be grouped or separated? Would a dropdown or text link provide a better way to navigate between itinerary days? The idea of a “preference slider” felt futuristic, but how could users easily understand that it had only three options—not dozens? I meticulously analyzed every detail of each component and actively sought feedback from my internal UX design team. After refining my designs based on their insights, I presented the options to the product team for further review. It was clear that this application not only needed to visually embody the Star Wars universe but also deliver a seamless and intuitive user experience.
DESIGN SYSTEM
I aimed to create a design system that would honor the iconic Star Wars brand while seamlessly integrating with a resort still under development.
By examining concept imagery for the Galactic Starcruiser resort, I crafted a design system that felt futuristic and modern while seamlessly blending with its environment. The application was intentionally designed in “dark mode” to reflect the deep, vast darkness of outer space. The primary orange color was selected as it serves as the ship’s main accent, making it feel naturally at home. Complementing this, a bright blue was chosen not only for its strong contrast and vibrancy but also because it’s widely recognized as a standard link color. Typography was directly inspired by the ship’s futuristic style, while custom iconography was designed to be both clear and infused with the iconic Star Wars aesthetic. To add depth and dimension, varying levels of opacity created a layered effect, and carefully designed glyphs helped complete the immersive look.
USER FLOW 1
Rescheduling an event by expanding an event card.
The most exciting design challenge for this application was striking the right balance between giving Crew Members enough functionality to effectively do their jobs without revealing too much and spoiling the magic for guests. After all, this iPad web app would be used aboard the Galactic Starcruiser, where both Crew Members and guests are highly attentive to details. For example, if a guest requests to reschedule an event, the Crew Member can accommodate the change. However, if the guest simply wants more information, the app only reveals the relevant details—avoiding unnecessary exposure. While the resort preferred to limit event rescheduling, they still wanted to offer guests this option in critical situations. To address this, I designed a stepped approach with layered, hidden information that ensured functionality and discretion worked hand in hand.
When viewing a guest’s itinerary, a Crew Member can access an event description and a few basic actions with just one click. If that’s all the guest needs, perfect—they remain unaware that rescheduling is even possible. However, if the guest insists on rescheduling, the Crew Member can tap an expand icon at the bottom of the card to reveal the rescheduling feature. This layer includes a toggle to switch between days and displays the best available times, making it a quick and efficient way for the Crew Member to adjust the event. If none of those options work, the Crew Member can expand further to access additional rescheduling choices.
USER FLOW 2
Locating a character’s item and allowing a guest to scan it using their own device.
The entire two-night stay aboard the Galactic Starcruiser fully immerses guests in a story they actively participate in from check-in to check-out. One of the most exciting experiences is meeting and interacting with iconic characters from the Star Wars universe. At the end of each encounter, the character wirelessly transfers a special item to the guest’s personal phone—an item that advances their adventure’s storyline. As with any technology, we anticipated potential failures, so we designed a reliable fallback system to ensure guests still receive their items even if the wireless transfer doesn’t go as planned.
When a guest approaches a Crew Member seeking help with an item, the Crew Member responds with an in-character line such as, “Who did you discuss that item with?”—keeping the guest fully immersed in the Star Wars story. On the iPad, once the Crew Member locates the relevant character, they can expand the character’s card to view a description, access additional actions, and see the character’s items. By tapping the “Scan” text link, a QR code is generated that the guest can easily scan with their own device.
THE SOLUTION
Designed for an epic journey in a galaxy far, far away.
Launching in Spring 2021 alongside the opening of the Galactic Starcruiser resort at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this application empowers Halcyon Crew Members to deliver an out-of-this-world experience for their guests. Collaborating closely with Walt Disney Imagineers, I designed a Star Wars-themed app tailored for two user personas, featuring 15 screens and over 20 user flows. The result is a seamless tool that enhances the adventures of both guests and Crew Members in a galaxy far, far away.
WHAT I LEARNED
Constant communication and an agile framework—a stellar combination.
I discovered the critical importance of establishing a structured process that served the entire cross-functional team. Defining clear timelines, goals, and success metrics was essential for maintaining accountability and keeping the project on track. With requirements and designs evolving daily, I learned that constant communication, daily scrum meetings, and transparency were key to sustaining momentum. Most importantly, I realized how thrilling product design becomes when it feels like the sky’s the limit.