Pixel Perfect: Crafting a Stylish Living Space in Minecraft – Creative Building Tips
At the same time, when COVID-19 started to kick off, my kid was interested in Minecraft in a massive way. He loves to make and problem-solve, so it’s perfect for his inquisitive 12-year-old mind. As I’ve been watching him look around and play, I’ve noticed a couple of interesting things about the experience we get when you play in Minecraft. I’ve been awed by the ease of it all. As an experienced designer myself, I couldn’t help. However, note down all the amazing ways Minecraft makes an immersive, memorable, knowledge-friendly, inclusive and, above all, fun experience for the audience.
Wait, what the hell is Living Space in Minecraft?
Now, I can only talk about what we, as parents, have seen my son play. That’s not everything, as he is only 12 and is limited in the areas that are appropriate for him to play. Minecraft can be considered a “sandbox” game, where you explore a blocky, computer-generated world as a player.
There are many types of biomes that mirror those found on Earth, such as mountainous places, savannahs and so on, and there are also many types of things anybody can mine (gold, diamonds, coal, etc).
You can construct houses, create lakes, brew beer, and make cakes. You can farm animals and crops. Whatever you can do in real life, you can also do it—and lots of other things—in Minecraft. As I’ve watched my young boy roam around and get used to the fun, there have been a multitude of things that struck me as interesting from an experienced designer’s point of view.
“A user interface is like a joke. In cases you have to explain it, it’s not Super good”. — Martin Leblanc
Of course, there are many exceptions, but I feel many creators don’t stop to ask. ” Does a product really need this?” before adding a feature or following the loved pattern.
Everyone with a mental model of the globe can make a Stylish Living Space in Minecraft
The speed at which my son has been studying the above is amazing. It can create complex structures, and figuring out how to operate the game is incredibly empowering. As a relative novice to the game, it has the magical result of making you feel like a great expert.
Variable reward of Stylish Living Space in Minecraft
As you dig around in Minecraft, anybody might just spend 30 minutes digging through boring solid soil, rock and gravel. We light the way of your expanding mine with diligence and scan the walls patiently for anything super nice that emerges from the ground. If luck is on your side, you will be rewarded with items that glint in the torchlight. Most probably, this will be the common ore. Such as coal or iron, which anybody can use to craft new tools, generate heat and so on. However, for those that endeavour further.
There is the potential of diamonds, gold, emeralds, red stone (which we will come to later) and many other exciting finds. And it’s not just under-ground that this surprise aspect of the game occurs. Above ground, you can be happily walking through a field, just for a panda to run up to you, or a turkey to pop a little egg out at your feet. It’s not only delightful, it’s variable.
It matches the user’s aims of how they like Living Space in Minecraft.
The game can run in a bunch of modes, and we’ve tried a few. As a UX Designer it is super nice to see how they have figured out the different goals their users have. Also, given adequate modes for each. For instance, “survival mode” results in you beginning with nothing and having to craft everything yourself. You can also be hit by hostile “mobs” in the game such as zombies.
After this, there is also a “creative mode”, where there is no chance of coming under attack by anything like a zombie. They also have access to all the things in Minecraft from the start. So far, so normal. “We found the blend of the two modes called ‘peace loving mode’ super interesting. In this mode, you still have to collect items to craft and create new objects, but you can turn off all the bad guys. There are no zombies here!”
Memorable ways of figuring out real-life concepts for Living Space in Minecraft
As the pandemic took hold, we noticed Minecraft being used in many other ways to reflect. What people were missing out on in real life? Some time ago, a school in China was featured in the news for recreating the kids’ passing out of college ceremony in Minecraft. Allowing them to all have the closure and party virtually that they were missing out on.
Users are demanding more of their experiences.
Right now, MinecraftEDU is being utilized in classrooms to let teachers virtually “walk” pupils around historical landmarks. To monitor their progress and grip as they do so. This is a new creative way of learning that we can predict future students will come to expect of their educational institutions.
Improving inclusion and social spaces with Stylish Living Spaces in Minecraft
I think my most loved quote about Minecraft is that by Cody Sumter:
Conclusion about Living Space in Minecraft
As an experience, Minecraft is one of a kind. It’s a great case study of how the experiences we provide don’t need to be pixel-perfect. The main thing for the end user is solving a problem they have while empowering them to reach their goals to figure out that problem. Minecraft has this down to a great—albeit pixelated—art. It might be being incapable of seeing your friends, teaching all students, or just being bored.
Although Minecraft isn’t a recent game, the pandemic has seen people changing. Including it as a way to virtually learn, play and collaborate at a time when we are not able to be physically together.