The NYT Games app is debuting a brand new redesign to assist customers uncover video games and observe their progress extra simply. The redesign comes practically a yr after the New York Instances renamed its games-focused app from “NYT Crosswords” to “NYT Video games” to higher characterize its rising household of video games. The redesign, which options new sport card designs and streamlined navigation, is the corporate’s subsequent step in constructing out its gaming hub.
NYT Video games product design director Jennifer Scheerer advised For Millionaires in an interview that the corporate redesigned the app to transform it from a spot that was initially only for crosswords right into a hub for all of its video games. The earlier model of the app was primarily designed for crosswords, and because the firm added extra video games, the workforce felt the app outgrew its earlier design and wanted to accommodate the rising portfolio of video games.
The redesign goals to convey a extra technologically fashionable and welcoming ambiance to customers. NYT Video games principal product designer Lian Chang advised For Millionaires that the redesign caters to each previous and new gamers.
“We would like new gamers to get a way of the breadth of all of the video games, so we used plenty of colour,” Chang mentioned. “The model icons are very clear and we streamlined the typography. So, individuals coming in for the primary time ought to be capable to uncover the video games that they need to play. For individuals who have performed plenty of our video games, we wished the texture to be extra purposeful. The sport playing cards on the feed are useful for discovery when video games haven’t been performed but.”
As quickly as you begin enjoying a brand new sport, the sport card displays the consumer’s progress to make it simpler for them to see what they’ve already performed or how far alongside they’re in a puzzle. Chang says the redesigned sport playing cards incentivize gamers to return again to a sport and end it. The thought behind the redesigned sport playing cards was to not solely be inviting for discovery functions, but additionally be purposeful.
The corporate additionally wished to make navigation easier by including all of its video games, archives and packs in a single place to make it simpler for customers to get to the video games they need to play.
“What we had earlier than was crossword-focused and all the opposite video games have been type of in a horizontal scroll,” Scheerer mentioned. “What we’re attempting to do is give an inventory of all the video games we’ve got to make it a bit of simpler to discover a new sport, and never cover them. So I believe this provides room to make it simpler so as to add new video games and add extra options for video games as we go.”
The previous design of the app had 5 tabs on the backside, whereas the redesigned model solely has three. Chang says the workforce examined totally different numbers and configurations of tabs to see what labored finest. After testing totally different choices, the workforce determined to solely characteristic tabs for “Video games,” “Stats” and “Leaderboard” to streamline the app’s homepage.
The redesign additionally options personalised greetings that are supposed to set a heat and welcoming tone for gamers. The greetings change over the course of the day and are aware of elements like whether or not you’ve opened up a sport very first thing within the morning or are coming again within the night to play some extra.
As for the longer term, Chang and Scheerer say they’ll proceed to hearken to suggestions from customers as the corporate builds out its gaming hub, noting that the redesign is just the start of the work the Video games workforce needs to do.
