Overview

Mythic Table is an open-source platform tailored for virtual tabletop role-playing games, with a primary focus on popular games like Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). This innovative platform incorporates essential features such as character sheets, dice rolling, and interactive maps, enabling players and game masters to seamlessly enjoy D&D experiences in a virtual environment.

In the spring of 2020, I volunteered as a designer collaborating with one other designer and four developers in shaping the foundational structure of the platform's first playable version.

Research

In my initial role, I conducted user testing on prototypes developed by the team. Before I joined, volunteer developers had been collaborating on the project, and the lead developer requested my assistance in testing their progress. This testing phase revealed a prevalent frustration among users with the complexity of existing tabletop platforms. Users often found themselves spending more time teaching others how to use the platform than actually enjoying the game. This underscored the need for a more user-friendly solution that wouldn't require extensive tutorials or guides.

Ideation

To inform our design process effectively, we recognized the need to understand the capabilities of our volunteer team before diving into the design phase. To achieve this, I facilitated an Effort Impact Scale exercise. This served as a collaborative brainstorming session where we explored ideas and discussed their feasibility. By engaging everyone on the team, we ensured that all voices were heard, fostering clear expectations and a shared understanding.

Following the Effort Impact Scale exercise, we conducted a design sprint, providing an opportunity for team members to actively contribute to the design process. Drawing upon the insights gathered from our initial exercise, participants sketched out ideas and concepts. These activities laid the foundation for our first wireframes, enabling us to begin organizing the layout and interface elements of the platform.

Design

Alex and I undertook the responsibility of designing Mythic Table's interface using Figma, guided by the team's established requirements and insights. Our goal was to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that would serve as the initial playable version, enabling users to test and enjoy the platform with their friends.

Following the design of the tabletop interface, Alex and I proceeded to create mockups for all the user flows within the platform. We ventured into various design styles before finalizing everything, from the initial account creation process to the campaign management features. If you're not familiar with campaigns, think of these as individual folders for each of your D&D adventures.

Validation

As junior designers, Alex and I worked diligently to meet the 3-month deadline for Mythic Table's first playable. As the project evolved, an experienced front-end developer joined our efforts, elevating our designs and bringing the product to life. This collaboration proved to be an invaluable learning experience, and I'm genuinely delighted with the results. To the best of my knowledge, the initial playable received positive feedback from project followers, and I take pride in my contribution to turning the concept into a fully functional product.

You can test for yourself Mythic Table's Website.