USA TODAY Crossword
Overview
In early 2021, USA TODAY had 3 Crossword experiences managed on different platforms with separate licensing agreements. While users frequently complimented puzzle quality, they complained about the user interface and overall experience.
Objective
Create a branded, unified USA TODAY Crossword experience as a standalone subscription product.
My role
I led the following work:
I collaborated with another designer on the web UI design and Crossword design system.
In early 2021, USA TODAY had 3 Crossword experiences managed on different platforms with separate licensing agreements. While users frequently complimented puzzle quality, they complained about the user interface and overall experience.
Objective
Create a branded, unified USA TODAY Crossword experience as a standalone subscription product.
My role
I led the following work:
- Foundational user research
- Usability testing
- Content architecture
- UX copy
- User flows
I collaborated with another designer on the web UI design and Crossword design system.
Key methodologies + insights
1. Qualitative research study
App reviews and analytics highlighted common pain points with the current crossword experience, but the Product Design team wanted a deeper understanding of frequent crossword players’ habits.
We ran a diary study on dscout, a qualitative research platform, with USA TODAY Crossword
players and players of two competitor apps. We used crosstab analysis for close-ended responses and affinity mapping to analyze user verbatims and draw conclusions where appropriate.
App reviews and analytics highlighted common pain points with the current crossword experience, but the Product Design team wanted a deeper understanding of frequent crossword players’ habits.
We ran a diary study on dscout, a qualitative research platform, with USA TODAY Crossword
players and players of two competitor apps. We used crosstab analysis for close-ended responses and affinity mapping to analyze user verbatims and draw conclusions where appropriate.
- Jobs to be done: Users discussed two jobs to be done. The unwind and enjoy group played to relax. They built in time to play in the evenings, often before bed, and disliked the timer. The boredom relief group played during short breaks from work or school. 60% said they finished the crossword in more than one session, making autosave a key feature.
- Skill level: Most USA TODAY players used both regular/casual and expert mode depending on time of day, mood, and energy level. This disproved our hypothesis that we’d see two distinct groups of players, casual and competitive.
- Customization: While the existing experiences gave players the option to hide the timer, users didn’t seem to know this. Improving settings visibility and functionality was important for platform parity and the overall user experience.
- Puzzle variety: All players in the study expected a new puzzle daily, but they valued crosswords with unique clues and themes more highly. They rated access to additional puzzles the top reason to pay for the crossword.
2. Defining the MVP + usability testing
We used a freemium subscription strategy with three tiers: anonymous users, users with a free account, and subscribers. We knew from previous research that small, contextual CTAs were more effective at driving subscriptions.
We used a freemium subscription strategy with three tiers: anonymous users, users with a free account, and subscribers. We knew from previous research that small, contextual CTAs were more effective at driving subscriptions.
Using business requirements, previous usability research, and learnings from our foundational research study, I mapped out recommendations for what features should be included in the MVP and who should have access to them.
The MVP focused on habit-building features, such as solve rate and streak tracking, that drove registrations and daily use. Primary subscriber benefits included unlimited puzzles, an ad-free experience, and unlimited hints/reveals.
We conducted two rounds of unmoderated prototype testing with real USA TODAY Crossword players on UserTesting.com. They responded positively to the overall look and feel of the site, understood locked features and subscription messaging, and 88% said they would create an account based on what was tested. We made small tweaks to language and iconography to clarify puzzle settings and functionality.
We conducted two rounds of unmoderated prototype testing with real USA TODAY Crossword players on UserTesting.com. They responded positively to the overall look and feel of the site, understood locked features and subscription messaging, and 88% said they would create an account based on what was tested. We made small tweaks to language and iconography to clarify puzzle settings and functionality.
3. Post-MVP usability testing + iterations
Three major product updates were launched in 2022, informed by MVP research, in-market data, and additional usability testing.
Three major product updates were launched in 2022, informed by MVP research, in-market data, and additional usability testing.
Navigation: The Crossword with minimal navigation due to resource constraints. As more features and functionality were added, the lack of navigation compounded UX issues and made the experience feel increasingly disjointed. I designed a streamlined navigation to enable users to easily move through the experience and ran three usability tests to validate the language and content architecture. These navigation improvements facilitated the addition of other puzzle landing pages, like Quick Cross and Sudoku.
Sudoku: Access to additional puzzles was a primary motivation to subscribe in our dscout study. We ran an unmoderated usability test on the current USA TODAY sudoku experience to identify player habits, likes and dislikes, and what they find valuable.
We learned Sudoku players are more platform-agnostic than crossword players, playing on multiple devices, sites, and apps. Many said they still play printed versions of sudoku in puzzle books or newspapers. There is no game provider loyalty, nor much distinction among providers. While users are always resistant to change, the general tone of feedback was other than minor fixes and a more modern UI, the game is fine as is.
We updated the sudoku UI to match the new Crossword design system and made small UX and dev improvements, and positioned additional sudoku access as part of the Crossword subscription.
We learned Sudoku players are more platform-agnostic than crossword players, playing on multiple devices, sites, and apps. Many said they still play printed versions of sudoku in puzzle books or newspapers. There is no game provider loyalty, nor much distinction among providers. While users are always resistant to change, the general tone of feedback was other than minor fixes and a more modern UI, the game is fine as is.
We updated the sudoku UI to match the new Crossword design system and made small UX and dev improvements, and positioned additional sudoku access as part of the Crossword subscription.
Metering and free trials: We launched a two-week free trial to the Crossword to soften the blow of limiting anonymous users to two crossword puzzles per week. Previous usability testing around landing pages and subscriptions demonstrated that users are more willing to engage with a free trial when they don’t need to enter payment information, but they’re skeptical of the word “free," so we emphasized that no card is required. I consulted on UX copy for landing page CTAs encouraging users to create an account or subscribe for more features.
Outcomes
The Crossword continues to see subscription growth.
We're making ongoing refinements to reinforce the value of a USA TODAY Crossword subscription. See it for yourself at puzzles.usatoday.com
The Crossword continues to see subscription growth.
- App store ratings increased from 2 to 4.3, a 115% increase.
- Subscriptions increased 1048% from the MVP launch in June 2021 to November 2022, our most recent major update.
- We saw a 135% increase in subscriptions after the puzzle meter and free trials were introduced in July 2022.
We're making ongoing refinements to reinforce the value of a USA TODAY Crossword subscription. See it for yourself at puzzles.usatoday.com