The Case Study
As an entertainment-focused service since 2016, the Arland website's target audience involved catering to players looking for the latest updates. Is the server down? What features can I expect to find? How can I donate to help keep the server running?
Part 1: The Basics
Minecraft Java was a desktop-only game (PC/Mac/Linux). To get started quickly, the Arland Web Team worked out a fun design catered primarily towards desktop users in 2016.
Using a clean, minimalist design with subtle animations, light gray sans-serif fonts, and parallax effects, the website quickly became a popular knowledge repository for its community.
Focusing on delivering service information, the first draft included drafting onboarding documentation to guide players through installation instructions, membership rules of conduct, and basic functionality/mods. Future improvements added service integrations with Google Forms, PayPal donations, and AddThis share buttons.
Part 2: Mobile-First PWA
As Arland grew, discussions took place for a new, mobile-responsive website in 2018. Focusing on the growing trend of Progressive Web Apps, this new website would serve as a launchpad for new users and include a development blog for the Arland Web Team.
User surveys found that it was helpful to have server info ready on a separate device, or to see the server's activity on-the-go before "hopping on PC to play". Using MaterializeCSS as a base, the new website uses the latest Material Design standards to develop a modern, mobile-first website with a public REST API for quick access to status info.
The PWA brought new enhancements such as a live status checker for the Arland Minecraft server, scroll progress bar, and instant chat support widget integration with Crisp -- as well as a new onboarding guidebook for both the Discord server and an explainer for Minecraft Java and Minecraft Bedrock.
Part 3: Simply a New Service
As Minecraft has updated and 2020's COVID changes brought on a new generation of players, the service has branched out with new servers.
In a new RPG-based server, ease of use and flexibility for the documentation was a core requirement. Quick access to core services such as the server map preview and server upvote links were vital. In user surveys, users liked previewing and interacting with the community before joining. Screenshots were also a big appeal for new users.
Building on top of Jekyll and GitHub Pages, edits were made easy using Markdown for all pages across the site. A large Discord chat integration widget is prominently displayed, as well as custom online/offline custom site themes for server status. A screenshots gallery and viewer is included, with maintainers only needing to drag and drop images into a specified folder. A URL shortener service is also provided, allowing maintainers to redirect convenient pages such as /store to an external store website.
The Results
Working with the Arland team has expanded my horizons towards understanding the needs of clients. Target audiences matter, and websites are made in service of the customers that rely on it.
Priorities shift. While the classic Arland service required an expansive and detailed website, newer services seeked to deliver immersive walkthroughs in-game, with only a simple informative landing website and server status information.
Throughout this journey, I've had the chance to learn and apply a wide variety of techniques, including in REST APIs, build pipelines, CSS frameworks, and mobile responsiveness. I've also worked with many build tools including Tailwind, Bootstrap, MaterializeCSS, WordPress, and other third-party services.
While Moonrise was initially built for the Arland team, Moonrise is now an open-source project in my GitHub. Feel free to take a look!