MINECRAFT LAUNCHER APP
Minecraft Launcher is your one-stop portal into the Minecraft universe. Here, you can buy, download, and launch all your PC Minecraft titles - while learning about exciting Minecraft New as it comes out and experiencing Launcher-only Minecraft moments.
Launcher was one of my teams main clients. We worked closely with their development team to design and implement new features as well as exciting promotions. Below are a couple examples of many projects we worked on.
minecraft Launcher on Microsoft Store
CLIENT - Minecraft Launcher App
PROJECT - Minecraft Legends Game Launch
ROLE - 3D Art & UX Producer
OBJECTIVE - In Spring 2023, we updated the Launcher's iconography and decided that the Microsoft Store's product download page needed a refresh. My team suggested a fun video to highlight the best qualities of the application.
Interviewer tip!
Ask me about the features in this video and I'll tell you a story of how the Launcher caught on fire.
RESULTS
The updates we made to the Microsoft Store were loved by players and internal teams alike! We focused on recent and exciting changes to the Launcher that our team had been pushing and it brought features to light. Overall a great success.
Minecraft Legends GAME LAUNCH
CLIENT - Minecraft Launcher App
PROJECT - Minecraft Legends Game Launch
ROLE - 3D Art & UX Producer
OBJECTIVE - Create a splashy, unique user experience to announce milestones leading up to and launching the new Minecraft Legends game. Milestones had to align with Marketing beats and be approved by the lead game Art Director.
CHALLENGE
Design times for user-experience and engineering differed drastically from marketing timelines. We needed to be completed with content production months before marketing design needed to start. Which means, we needed approvals on concepts and reference material while the game design team was still tweaking characters and under strict confidentiality rules.
Design times for user-experience and engineering differed drastically from marketing timelines. We needed to be completed with content production months before marketing design needed to start. Which means, we needed approvals on concepts and reference material while the game design team was still tweaking characters and under strict confidentiality rules.
GAME ANNOUNCEMENT - first milestone
Pitched concepts through client to marketing team to game design art director
Acquired reference materials
Revisions to 3D designs for brand quality and development needs
Big response from audience
ANNOUNCEMENT RESULTS
- Communication through client muddied the messages
- Inadequate technical build files /reference materials resulting in late revisions
- Ambiguity when working on a new game launch
- Developed new relationships with key stakeholders
- Scheduled regular calls with Marketing Leads & Art Directors
- Communicated directly with game designers to obtain accurate reference files in project management tool
Pre-order MILESTONE
On January 27, 2023 the Legends Pre Order button went live in the Launcher. The gif below shows the Legends take over of the Launcher starting with the loading graphic (Allays spinning in a circle), Legends tab icon bread-crumbing (sparkles!) and transformation of new call to action button revealing that users can pre-order the game. By clicking the CTA users are given two SKU options in a modal.
PRE-ORDER RESULTS
- Obtained accurate design files from game designer directly
- Direct line to Art Director made revisions faster and clear
- Building trust resulted in the Marketing team loving and implementing our ideas
- With more trust from the team they are more open to creative ideas that push the brand storytelling
- Our team gained studio attention for this project, showing our influence
GAME LAUNCH - FINAL MILESTONE
Pitched concepts and gained approval from marketing & game design art director
Obtained reference materials
Tweaked 3D designs
Huge response from audience
GAME LAUNCH RESULTS
- External and internal audience loved the piglin animations
- New direction influenced and aligned with Marketing beats and told a brand story
- Process is documented for future new game launches
RETROSPECTIVE
Throughout the campaign, I implemented new protocols and nurtured stakeholder relationships. With this we were able to improve our process with the game art directors, brand managers, and marketing team. This led to more trust, creative freedom, and the successful implementation of our whimsical user experiences.
