Wuthering Waves - MacOS Launcher

This launcher looks and feels like it belongs to the game. The dark aesthetic, subtle gradients and smooth animations make it visually engaging. The spacing and alignment are on point, keeping everything readable and uncluttered. Typography is well-chosen, balancing style and usability. Motion design plays a huge role here—hover states and transitions add life without slowing things down. It’s not just a launcher; it’s an extension of the game itself.

What Works Well

1. Clean & Organized Layout

• The centred login screen is well-structured and minimizes cognitive load.
• Spacing and alignment are precise, keeping everything easy to scan.
• The grid system helps create a structured layout, avoiding clutter.

2. Dark-Themed Aesthetic

• The dark UI with subtle gradients complements the game’s mood.
• Background illustrations reinforce immersion, making the launcher feel like an extension of the game rather than a separate entity.
• Text and elements maintain good contrast, ensuring readability without losing the cinematic feel.

3. Typography & Readability

• The chosen fonts fit the game’s style and remain highly legible.
• Text hierarchy is well-structured: bold headings, clear subtext, and intuitive labels.
• Line spacing and padding help with readability, reducing strain—important for long sessions.

4. Smooth Animations & Motion Design

• Loading animations adds dynamism without slowing down interaction.
• Button hover effects provide instant feedback, keeping UI responsive.
• Screen transitions feel seamless, which aligns with Flow Theory, preventing abrupt disconnections from the experience.

5. Usability & Accessibility

• The password visibility toggle enhances usability without breaking immersion.
• Button sizes are optimized, considering Fitts’s Law (larger buttons improve usability).
• The loading progress indicator keeps users informed, which is crucial for engagement in-game UI.

Areas for Improvement

1. Refining Motion Effects

• Some transitions could be even smoother—reducing delay times would help with Hick’s Law, ensuring users don’t wait longer than necessary.
• Input fields could use micro-interactions to provide instant feedback, reinforcing the cause-and-effect principle in-game UI.

2. Adapting for Different Screen Sizes

• UI should scale properly on different Mac resolutions, ensuring proportional elements.
• Some elements might feel too large or too small on different displays, affecting usability. A responsive layout would improve this.

3. Providing More Engaging Feedback

• Error messages should be clearer and more player-friendly:
• Instead of “Incorrect password”, use “Oops! That doesn’t match our records. Try again or reset your password.”
• This lowers frustration and guides the user, following the positive reinforcement principle used in game design.
• A subtle animation when clicking ‘Log In’ would improve action feedback, making interactions more natural.

4. Enhancing Microcopy for Engagement

• The login prompt could feel more immersive:
• Instead of “Use your email and password to log in”, try “Welcome back, Traveler! Enter your details to continue your journey.”
• This keeps UI elements thematically aligned with the game world.
• Button Labels:
• Instead of a plain “Log In”, consider “Enter Solaris-3” or “Start Your Adventure”.
• Loading Messages:
• Instead of a generic “Loading...”, try “Syncing with Solaris-3...” or “Preparing your journey...” to keep excitement high and reduce perceived wait time.

5. Making Buttons More Interactive

• Hover effects:
• Buttons could have a glowing effect when hovered, reinforcing player engagement.
• A subtle bounce animation on click would follow motion psychology, adding a satisfying interaction cue.
• Why? These refinements make interactions feel more dynamic and engaging, aligning with game UI principles that keep players immersed.

This MacOS launcher is a strong step forward in improving accessibility and immersion for Wuthering Waves. The clean UI, smooth animations, and themed microcopy elevate the experience beyond a standard launcher.

Next Steps for Improvement:

✅ Fine-tune animations for a smoother experience.

✅ Test across multiple screen sizes to ensure adaptability.

✅ Improve user feedback with loading states and clearer error messages.

✅ Strengthen microcopy to reinforce the game’s narrative.

✅ Enhance button animations and hover effects for better interaction feedback.

✅ Apply game UI best practices like Flow Theory, Hick’s Law, and Fitts’s Law to refine interactions.

great work, very detailed, amazing