App Showcase: USA TODAY

What it does

USA TODAY is a mobile news app that delivers national and local news coverage. It allows users to create a personalized feed by following specific topics, from breaking news and politics to sports and entertainment. The app also integrates a suite of daily games, including a crossword puzzle, to provide a source of daily entertainment alongside its core news content.

Where it shines

The app excels at giving users a sense of control right from the start. The onboarding flow (00:04) cleverly uses a notification warm-up screen that lets users select which categories they want alerts for before the system prompt appears. Another standout feature is the integrated crossword game (07:03), which successfully transforms the app from a simple news reader into a potential daily habit. Finally, the article view itself includes a simple but effective font size adjuster (02:31), a small touch that significantly improves readability.

UX highlights

• Personalization-first onboarding: The app prioritizes customizing the user's experience with topics and notifications before anything else.
• Clear content hierarchy: The main feed uses strong visual cues, like a 'LIVE' tag (02:13), to differentiate article types and guide user attention.
• Actionable topic management: In the article view, users can easily follow or unfollow the relevant topic ('Iran') with a single tap (02:20), allowing for continuous feed refinement.
• Integrated gaming experience: The crossword feature is well-designed and provides a compelling reason to engage with the app daily, separate from the news cycle.
• Accessible article controls: Features like font resizing are easily accessible and improve the core reading experience for a wider audience.
• Saved articles for later: A persistent bookmark icon (02:17) allows users to save articles, a key feature for driving return visits and deeper engagement.

Monetization & growth

The app employs a layered monetization strategy. It's free to use with ads, but a subscription is required for an ad-free experience and access to premium content like the eNewspaper. The paywall is presented after a user has invested time in personalizing their feed, making the proposition to save their preferences via a free account a logical next step. Subscription offers, like one seen at 01:52, highlight annual discounts to encourage longer-term commitment.

Who it’s for

This app is designed for the general news consumer who wants to stay informed but also wants control over their information diet. The customizable alerts and topic feeds appeal to users who feel overwhelmed by traditional news sources. The addition of puzzles makes it suitable for a broader audience looking for a single app that combines daily news with a light, engaging activity.

Notes & opportunities

The account creation process at 00:38 redirects to a web view, which can be a slightly jarring experience compared to a native form. While functional, this creates a moment of friction that could be smoothed out. Additionally, after creating an account, the user is presented with several interstitial screens (01:25 - 01:35) before reaching the main feed. Streamlining this post-registration path could get users to their personalized content faster.