One of the most valuable aspects of UX (user experience) design is being able to evaluate how easy an app is to use based on certain criteria. The game I will be evaluating is Minecraft. The reason I’m interested in this app is because Minecraft is one of the most well known games of this decade and has been talked about since its release in 2011! One way we evaluate a product, app, or service in UX is through something called Heuristics. There are 10 main heuristics, and I’ll be covering System Status and Minimalist Aesthetics.
The first Heuristic I’ll be using is System Status. This heuristic has to do with visually showing the status of a process. One example of this heuristic is a loading bar. With Minecraft, when you first create a world it shows a block filling up to represent your world being created. They do a good job of using this heuristic because the idea of a block loading up matches the idea of the game.
The second Heuristic I’ll be using is Minimalist Aesthetics. This heuristic has to do with removing as much as possible from the layout. One example of this heuristic is showing more pictures instead of words. With Minecraft, only layout on your screen is your toolbar. They do a good job of using this heuristic because it makes it a lot easier to manage your resources.
Overall, I would give Minecraft a 4 out of 5 score based on how easy it is to pick up and learn. Hopefully, you can get a sense of how valuable the UX process is.
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