Magichem - A Minecraft Mod

Continuing the legacy of Thaumcraft with an addon for Mana and Artifice. Currently in active development.

Role

UX/UI Designer

Role

UX/UI Designer

Role

UX/UI Designer

Industry

Health & Fitness

Industry

Health & Fitness

Industry

Health & Fitness

Duration

Project Management, Asset Creation, OpenGL, Java, Reverse Engineering, Game Design

Duration

Project Management, Asset Creation, OpenGL, Java, Reverse Engineering, Game Design

Duration

Project Management, Asset Creation, OpenGL, Java, Reverse Engineering, Game Design

a cellphone leaning against a wall
a cellphone leaning against a wall
a cellphone leaning against a wall

Stage 1. Market research and analysis

  • Initiated the project with comprehensive market research, analyzing competitors and identifying gaps in the social dining app market. Conducted surveys and focus groups with potential users to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points regarding dining out and socializing.

  • Synthesized research findings to develop a clear value proposition for the app, focusing on unique features such as group dining options, personalized restaurant recommendations, and event planning capabilities.

Stage 2. Concept development and user flow design

  • Led the conceptualization phase, brainstorming with the design team to generate innovative ideas that align with user needs and project goals. Developed user personas and scenarios to guide the design process and ensure a user-centered approach.

  • Mapped out user flows for key app functionalities, including account creation, restaurant browsing, event creation, and social interactions. Prioritized simplicity and intuitiveness in the navigation structure to enhance user engagement.

Stage 3. UI design and prototyping

  • Created detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes using Adobe XD, focusing on crafting an inviting and user-friendly interface. Selected a warm and inviting color scheme and typography that reflects the app's social and culinary focus.

  • Developed high-fidelity prototypes that showcased the app's core features, including a dynamic home feed, detailed restaurant profiles, and an integrated chat system for planning dining events. Conducted iterative design reviews with the team to refine the prototypes.

Stage 1. Market research and analysis

  • Initiated the project with comprehensive market research, analyzing competitors and identifying gaps in the social dining app market. Conducted surveys and focus groups with potential users to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points regarding dining out and socializing.

  • Synthesized research findings to develop a clear value proposition for the app, focusing on unique features such as group dining options, personalized restaurant recommendations, and event planning capabilities.

Stage 2. Concept development and user flow design

  • Led the conceptualization phase, brainstorming with the design team to generate innovative ideas that align with user needs and project goals. Developed user personas and scenarios to guide the design process and ensure a user-centered approach.

  • Mapped out user flows for key app functionalities, including account creation, restaurant browsing, event creation, and social interactions. Prioritized simplicity and intuitiveness in the navigation structure to enhance user engagement.

Stage 3. UI design and prototyping

  • Created detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes using Adobe XD, focusing on crafting an inviting and user-friendly interface. Selected a warm and inviting color scheme and typography that reflects the app's social and culinary focus.

  • Developed high-fidelity prototypes that showcased the app's core features, including a dynamic home feed, detailed restaurant profiles, and an integrated chat system for planning dining events. Conducted iterative design reviews with the team to refine the prototypes.

a cellphone leaning against a wall
a cellphone leaning against a wall
a cellphone leaning against a wall
a cell phone on a rock
a cell phone on a rock
a cell phone on a rock

Minecraft has a large and thriving modding community, though unlike many games with such communities, there is no official API or official modding tools. Instead, users have developed two major modloaders/APIs.

MagiChem is an add-on mod to Mana and Artifice (an extensive mod about becoming a wizard) that adds alchemical gameplay. Items can be broken down into alchemical “elements” called essentia or “compounds” called admixtures using the mod’s devices, and those distilled materials can be used to create different items or to power alchemical paraphernalia.

Magic mods are set apart from technology mods by their style and spectacle.

MagiChem devices have a style that’s very distinctive and more “refined” than vanilla blocks—many of them incorporate diagonal slopes instead of only cuboids—but I’ve made a major effort to keep everything relative to vanilla’s pixel density of 16px/m. As the models are OBJ format rather than being built with Minecraft cuboids, they also perform better than a model of similar complexity.

a cell phone on a ledge
a cell phone on a ledge
a cell phone on a ledge
a cell phone on a table
a cell phone on a table
a cell phone on a table
a cell phone on a bench
a cell phone on a bench
a cell phone on a bench

Spectacle, on the other hand, is achieved by doing things in an overwrought fashion to evoke a sense of wonder.

Rather than using pipes to move essentia and admixtures around, devices and rituals pull them directly from jars in the world. The fluid flies through the air in a stream—internally called a “shlorp”—spattering out of its target and sticking to the environment briefly.

Spectacle, on the other hand, is achieved by doing things in an overwrought fashion to evoke a sense of wonder.

Rather than using pipes to move essentia and admixtures around, devices and rituals pull them directly from jars in the world. The fluid flies through the air in a stream—internally called a “shlorp”—spattering out of its target and sticking to the environment briefly.

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Steven Bostwick

Projects

Resume

Steven Bostwick

Projects

Resume

Steven Bostwick

Projects

Resume