Exoplanet Counter
Celebrating the search for planets outside our solar system
experience
data viz
prototyping
art direction
design system
The Exoplanet Counter is a data-driven art installation celebrating NASA’s search for other worlds. An exoplanet, derived from the Greek prefix “exo-” meaning outside, refers to a planet outside our solar system. NASA studies these distant worlds to explore planetary diversity, understand planet formation, and search for potential extraterrestrial life.
My Role
I was asked to reimagine how JPL showcases NASA’s latest exoplanet discoveries in their admin building main lobby. As Art Director & Creative Technologist, I led the redesign of an existing installation geared toward VIPs, tour groups, and employees.
We used NASA's Exoplanet Archive as our data source. This online astronomical catalog provides a centralized platform for accessing and analyzing exoplanet data.
We wanted to preserve the futuristic look & feel of the original while breathing some life into a previously static LED display.
I used code to prototype typography and animation concepts with existing hardware before securing funding for a full redesign.
Custom Typeface
I created a pixel-perfect bitmap font to complement the LED screen we choose for this project. Kepler, named after one of the most prolific exoplanet discovery missions to date, remains legible at different sizes while also accommodating lengthy exoplanet names.
Design System
The most challenging aspect of the project was creating a consistent, yet flexible system to breath life into a growing list of exoplanets with cryptic names. Some of these, like “WISEP J121756.91+162640.2 A b,” are comically long. To emphasize the human element of NASA's archiving process, the names of the latest discoveries animate in as if being typed by hand for the first time.
Mockups of the LED display showcasing the change in confirmed exoplanets over time as well as the five latest discoveries
