Crosswords have a vibrant history, uniting enthusiasts and casual solvers from all walks of life around the globe for over 100 years. But the crossword scene is more dynamic than ever before, with an explosion of new creators (called“constructors”) building on that rich history of tradition. Crosswordr is a part of the next chapter of crossword history by giving today’s and tomorrow’s constructors a place to easily and directly connect with those who love solving their puzzles (“Solvers”). Constructors are able to share and manage their work, while solvers have more power than anywhere else to find and solve the puzzles they like best, and directly interact with those who made them.
Through a blend of competitor analysis and collaborative design workshops, the project effectively elevated the user interface, leading to a more intuitive and engaging experience. New features resulted on integration of Crosswordr with renowned puzzle providers like LA Times (Los Angeles Times) and AVCX (American Values Club Crossword).
Through our product design process, we focused on increasing the engagement and enhancing the usability of Crosswordr. The goal was to create a better user experience and introduce new features for both solvers and constructors of crossword puzzles.
1. Diversity Inclusion
Create a platform that aims to be an inclusive space where individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and skillsets feel welcome.
We carefully studied our competitors to understand their strength and weakness. We went hands-on trying out their applications. Additionally, we actively sought feedback from our target customers regarding their interactions with our competitors, with a specific focus on what they like and what they wish for. By comparing these aspects, we acquired valuable insights that guided the enhancement of the overall experience of our product.
One of the skills a UX designer should have is navigating resource constraints. In the research planning, time and budget limitations posed challenges for direct customer outreach. Yet having crossword enthusiast as external stakeholders provided us with valuable user information and a lot of insights on our new offerings. So we held design workshops with stakeholders including the product manager, project manager and the development team. We used Miro as a tool to collaborate on designing user-centric solutions. We successfully arrived at well-defined solutions that aligned with technical constraints, user needs and overarching business goals.
Design workshops as well as reviewing user flow of our competitor products not only helped us find how solvers find what puzzles to solve, but also revealed pain points in the process. In addressing these challenges, our goal was to make a more efficient and streamlined experience within our product. Furthermore, the design workshops allowed us to gain insights into constructors and solvers’ preferences, behaviors, and expectations. The collaborative design workshops not only illuminated the journey of solvers in discovering puzzles but also provided a deeper understanding of the puzzle constructors' process.
Analyzing competitor products' user flows gave us a comprehensive view of industry standards and user expectations. This comparative evaluation empowered us to identify areas where we could elevate our own user experience, ensuring that our platform stands out in terms of usability and satisfaction. The user flow is crafted to seamlessly guide both constructors and solvers through the platform, addressing pain points and enhancing overall satisfaction.
Leveraging the insights gained from design workshops and the user flow, I created the UI, strategically tackling identified user experience issues. My primary objective was to create a clean and intuitive interface, aiming to minimize cognitive load. Aligning with UI standards and the user's mental model, I developed a design that streamlines navigation and simplifies interactions, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience.
Actions
Navigated the challenge of integrating additional features into the Puzzle Card UI as the platform evolved. Gradually introduced new functionalities while maintaining a delicate balance to prevent overwhelming users with excessive information.
Impacts
Crafted a Puzzle Card UI that accommodates an expanded set of information, providing users with crucial puzzle details without sacrificing clarity. Users now experience a harmonious blend of comprehensive information and a clean design, striking an optimal balance that enhances usability and preserves an uncluttered interface.
Actions
Intuitive Tagging Implementation: Introduced a user-friendly tagging system that empowers puzzle constructors to label puzzles with relevant tags such as theme, size, difficulty level and descriptive tags.
Impacts
Effortless Puzzle Identification: The refined tagging system ensures user scan easily identify puzzles aligning with their preferences, fostering a more intuitive and engaging experience.
Uploading a puzzle and defining tags (Constructor)
Check puzzle tags from puzzle info popover (Solver)
Puzzle tags on solving Interface (Solver)
Puzzle tags on puzzle result page (Solver)
Actions
Dynamic Directory Launch: Introduced a dynamic puzzle directory that automatically updates, providing a continually refreshed selection of diverse puzzles.
User-Friendly Filters: Implemented easy-to-use filters within the directory, enabling users to quickly tailor their puzzle exploration based on themes, solver levels, sizes and descriptive tags.
Impacts
Effortless Discovery Experience: The combination of the dynamic puzzle directory and intuitive filters ensures users effortlessly find puzzles they want. User feedback reflects heightened satisfaction, emphasizing the platform's enhanced findability.
Puzzle Directory
Actions
Cross-Device Compatibility: Conducted a comprehensive review and redesign of Crosswordr interface to ensure optimal performance and usability across a diverse range of devices, including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
Fluid Layouts and Flexible Elements: Implemented fluid layouts and flexible design elements to adapt seamlessly to varying screen sizes. This involved optimizing the placement and scaling of interface components to maintain a cohesive and user-friendly experience.
Impacts
Expanded Reach: The responsive design approach ensures that crossword enthusiasts can seamlessly enjoy the platform's engaging experience across various devices. This adaptability has significantly broadened the platform's reach.
Improved User Engagement: This heightened flexibility has contributed to increased user engagement and satisfaction, fostering a positive and seamless interaction with the interface.
Responsive design - Puzzle Directory
In addressing the challenges specific to this project, we grappled with constraints in both time and budget. As a dedicated advocate for user-centric design, I strategically utilized the available resources to ensure the delivery of an optimal user experience. Leveraging internal stakeholders, who shared characteristics with our target audience and had regular interactions with our user group, proved to be a key strategy.
This collaborative approach not only compensated for the constrained direct customer exposure but also elevated the entire design process. Actively involving internal stakeholders closely aligned with our users enriched the design, resulting in solutions deeply rooted in genuine user needs and preferences. This resourceful and collaborative mindset allowed us to overcome financial and time limitations, delivering a user experience that authentically resonates with our intended audience.
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