CASE STUDY

Minecraft Launcher

Evolving the entry point to the best selling game ever.

The enduring feeling of a destination depends on how you arrive.

Role

At the time of this work, I was the UX Design Director working directly for Mojang Studios, providing Creative Direction and Product Design

Delivery

Roadmap Lab

Research Brainstorm and Template, Ideation Brainstorm and Template, Ideation Share-out, Filter Authoring, Ideation Excel doc

Features

Quick Play Bar, Character Cameos, Mini Games, Realms Integration, Marketplace Integration, Updated Home Page

The Quest We Took On

Boost functionality and engagement, unlock new revenue opportunities, and infuse Minecraft’s signature whimsy to draw players into the app, deepening connection to the Launcher and the world of Minecraft.

RESEARCH INSIGHT

The Minecraft experience is defined by its offbeat and humorous tone. Infusing our UX with the lore of the franchise was the key ingredient that differentiated our launcher from third-party versions.

Everyone contributed research, bringing unique perspectives.

Amplifying Curiosity

What we did

Our all-in approach to research and ideation gets everyone invested—encouraging creative, hands-on exploration beyond ChatGPT and Google where everyone is along for the journey.

How we won

By crowd-sourcing unique and fresh perspectives, we unlocked insights that led to unexpected and actionable opportunities outside of common UX controls & patterns.

Research insights shaped our Roadmap Filters, clarifying which features to prioritize for design and engineering, and allowing us to build the roadmap with confidence.

ROADMAP FILTER

Get players where they want to go, fast and effortless, reminding them why they love Minecraft from the first click.

Our Ideation Celebration surfaced 50+ feature ideas, scored using our Filters, shaping a roadmap where usability met whimsy — infusing UX that didn’t just function well, but attracted eyeballs.

Feature Highlights

  • Character Cameos

    For the Minecraft Legends launch, we created phased experiences where characters “escaped” into the Launcher, boosting click-throughs, conversion rates, and store ratings through overwhelmingly positive community response.

  • Quick Play Bar

    The Quick Play Bar gave Java and Bedrock players faster access to their saved games—reducing friction, driving high engagement and usability scores, and strengthening player preference for the Mojang Launcher over third-party alternatives.

  • Surprise Mini Games

    On April Fools’ Day, we ignited a viral moment by “setting the Launcher on fire”—a nod to Minecraft’s infamous griefing tactic—which led to a 50% spike in daily logins, 9x app interactions, and the highest sales bump since the holidays.

It turns out Minecraft fans reward delightful UX with their attention and positivity.

We DOUBLED Player Engagement

Player Sentiment improved 20%

(from 3.6 - 4.4 out of 5)

Next

Minecraft.net