App

Redesigned and re-engineered daily crossword puzzles.

Tournament interface of the USA Today Crossword mobile app.
CLIENT
  • USA TODAY/Gannett
SCOPE
  • App Development
  • Discovery + Planning
  • IA / UX / UI
  • QA Testing
  • Visual Design

cru·​ci·​ver·​bal·​ist \ ˌkrüsəˈvərbələ̇st\ n. a person skillful in creating or solving crossword puzzles

Challenge

Crossword players, also known as cruciverbalists, are very particular about their puzzle habits. For some, it's a casual distraction or relaxing break within their daily routine. For others, it's a relentless pursuit of speed and perfection. How do we cater to both of these unique audiences?

Solutions

With the newly redesigned and re-engineered app, you can wake up to a new puzzle every day and play for free or purchase "puzzle packs" to obtain additional puzzles.

"Ready to take your game to the next level? Subscribe to compete in tournament play, track your stats, get free hints, and enable additional subscriber-only benefits such as unlimited archives."

Example of a crossword game in the USA Today Crossword mobile app.
Three profile interfaces of the USA Today Crossword Mobile App.
Profile interface of the USA Today Crossword mobile app.

Outcome

It is no small task to deliver on USA TODAY's reputation for high-quality and engaging content experiences that span print, digital, social and video platforms. USA TODAY reaches nearly three million readers daily, and their mobile applications have reached more than 24 million downloads on mobile devices. Our objective was to create a standalone app experience worthy of the brand. Since relaunch, the app has been downloaded by hundreds of thousands of eager crossword puzzlers ready to test their verbal mettle.