Unlocked an Educational Vision
Unlocked an Educational Vision
2020 • DICTIONARY • 12 MONTHS
2020 • DICTIONARY • 12 MONTHS
In 2020, when traffic dropped during the pandemic, I led a cross-functional effort to understand the decline and uncovered a shift in student needs. I translated those insights into a strategic platform vision, called Dictionary.com Academy, pitched it alongside a PM, and led design for a word game MVP to unlock the Academy vision with a suite of features. The impact included:
The word game results: +50% time spent on app (6 min to 9 min) with 33 min spent on average.
The academy's results: +2% app page views, +241% increase time spent and +23% return visits.
In 2020, when traffic dropped during the pandemic, I led a cross-functional effort to understand the decline and uncovered a shift in student needs. I translated those insights into a strategic platform vision, called Dictionary.com Academy, pitched it alongside a PM, and led design for a word game MVP to unlock the Academy vision with a suite of features. The impact included:
The word game results: +50% time spent on app (6 min to 9 min) with 33 min spent on average.
The academy's results: +2% app page views, +241% increase time spent and +23% return visits.
Students were leaving us
Students were leaving us
The problem was that going into the pandemic in 2020, we saw a significant drop in page views as schools shifted to digital learning environments. This was bad news for a business model that relied on ads. We expected growth, but students were leaving us behind.
To understand why, I led a research effort (user interviews, surveys) that revealed deeper shifts in student behavior and expectations:
Students prioritized collaborative (as found on Quizlet, Chegg)
Our ad-heavy experience disrupted learning
One-off searches lacked repeat use and progression
Students wanted more than reference as they needed structured study tools on a digital environment
The problem was that going into the pandemic in 2020, we saw a significant drop in page views as schools shifted to digital learning environments. This was bad news for a business model that relied on ads. We expected growth, but students were leaving us behind.
To understand why, I led a research effort (user interviews, surveys) that revealed deeper shifts in student behavior and expectations:
Students prioritized collaborative (as found on Quizlet, Chegg)
Our ad-heavy experience disrupted learning
One-off searches lacked repeat use and progression
Students wanted more than reference as they needed structured study tools on a digital environment
Baseline UX for Dictionary.com.
Baseline UX for Dictionary.com.
They needed structured learning
They needed structured learning
Grounded in student needs for success, I led a structured synthesis of our research findings into actionable opportunity areas, which informed our concept for Dictionary.com's Academy vision. We shared the research across the company and I facilitated a cross-team brainstorm with Thesaurus (working on writing tools), Editorial (building quizzes), and Apps (interested in word games, per competitive analysis). To connect the opportunity dots from the workshop, I drafted a blueprint that reimagined Dictionary.com as an educational platform.
Grounded in student needs for success, I led a structured synthesis of our research findings into actionable opportunity areas, which informed our concept for Dictionary.com's Academy vision. We shared the research across the company and I facilitated a cross-team brainstorm with Thesaurus (working on writing tools), Editorial (building quizzes), and Apps (interested in word games, per competitive analysis). To connect the opportunity dots from the workshop, I drafted a blueprint that reimagined Dictionary.com as an educational platform.
Relevant projects in progress by other teams.
Relevant projects in progress by other teams.
The blueprint I drafted after the workshop with other teams.
The blueprint I drafted after the workshop with other teams.
Our vision was in engaged learning
Our vision was in engaged learning
The problem was the fact that traffic is tied to one-off searches. With a downturn in one-off searches, like the pandemic, we could continue to see the business get hurt from that. Most students came to Dictionary.com for definitions and synonyms. The baseline experience offered activities, like games, but they were outdated and outsourced. It was also dominated by ads. Our vision hypothesis was that by building engaging and educational tools that support ongoing learning, we could deepen engagement and unlock new monetization. We proposed uniting team efforts around student goals, like exam prep and long-term retention, with a detailed roadmap integrating all tools under the Academy vision. My PM and I pitched a deck to the executive team, which was later refined to start with a lightweight project: the word game MVP.
The problem was the fact that traffic is tied to one-off searches. With a downturn in one-off searches, like the pandemic, we could continue to see the business get hurt from that. Most students came to Dictionary.com for definitions and synonyms. The baseline experience offered activities, like games, but they were outdated and outsourced. It was also dominated by ads. Our vision hypothesis was that by building engaging and educational tools that support ongoing learning, we could deepen engagement and unlock new monetization. We proposed uniting team efforts around student goals, like exam prep and long-term retention, with a detailed roadmap integrating all tools under the Academy vision. My PM and I pitched a deck to the executive team, which was later refined to start with a lightweight project: the word game MVP.
The refined roadmap we landed on after executive feedback.
The refined roadmap we landed on after executive feedback.
The word puzzle skyrocketed
The word puzzle skyrocketed
The game took off. It gave us the behavioral proof we needed to show students would spend more time with us when the experience was rewarding and structured. It energized leadership, shifted team priorities, and made the broader Academy vision feel necessary. We designed and built the word game in 4 weeks, and it featured:
Required no account or login, removing friction to entry
Reused an internal API originally built for solving puzzles, now flipped for user-generated word creation
Tap-based, with real-time feedback and integrated definitions to reinforce vocabulary learning
Designed a clean, scalable UI system aligned with an in-progress brand rework, making it feel like meaningful progress
The impact was +50% time spent on app (6 min to 9 min) with 33 min spent on average. From this, we learned student were willing to spend meaningful and repeated time on the dictionary.com app – unlocking a new engagement modal that aligned with our vision goals.
The game took off. It gave us the behavioral proof we needed to show students would spend more time with us when the experience was rewarding and structured. It energized leadership, shifted team priorities, and made the broader Academy vision feel necessary. We designed and built the word game in 4 weeks, and it featured:
Required no account or login, removing friction to entry
Reused an internal API originally built for solving puzzles, now flipped for user-generated word creation
Tap-based, with real-time feedback and integrated definitions to reinforce vocabulary learning
Designed a clean, scalable UI system aligned with an in-progress brand rework, making it feel like meaningful progress
The impact was +50% time spent on app (6 min to 9 min) with 33 min spent on average. From this, we learned student were willing to spend meaningful and repeated time on the dictionary.com app – unlocking a new engagement modal that aligned with our vision goals.
Baseline UX for the app.
Baseline UX for the app.
Explorations for the word game from inspiration to concepts.
Explorations for the word game from inspiration to concepts.
We narrowed down explorations to two concepts. A dynamic keypad of moving letters and a point system. Then, a static keypad, as found on smartphones, with a goal to create 10 words. This resonated with students the most for potential, which felt more familiar with a keypad.
We narrowed down explorations to two concepts. A dynamic keypad of moving letters and a point system. Then, a static keypad, as found on smartphones, with a goal to create 10 words. This resonated with students the most for potential, which felt more familiar with a keypad.
A dictionary is a tool and therefore serves a utilitarian purpose. Games are experiential, so we believed that creating an experiential domain encourages engagement with feedback.
A dictionary is a tool and therefore serves a utilitarian purpose. Games are experiential, so we believed that creating an experiential domain encourages engagement with feedback.
Words found was powered by our Words API, which we envisioned offering ability to favorite and make words lists in the future. The results page featured a score visual and feedback.
Words found was powered by our Words API, which we envisioned offering ability to favorite and make words lists in the future. The results page featured a score visual and feedback.
The game unlocked momentum
The game unlocked momentum
The word game MVP de-risked our vision and built executive momentum. It led to the launch of three new educational features:
Global accounts with Word Lists: Save and revisit vocabulary.
Flashcards: Reinforce memory through repeat practice.
Definition Quizzes: Convert passive lookup into active recall.
Trending Academy results:
+2% app page views
+241% increase in time spent across app
+23% increase in return visitors
The word game MVP de-risked our vision and built executive momentum. It led to the launch of three new educational features:
Global accounts with Word Lists: Save and revisit vocabulary.
Flashcards: Reinforce memory through repeat practice.
Definition Quizzes: Convert passive lookup into active recall.
Trending Academy results:
+2% app page views
+241% increase in time spent across app
+23% increase in return visitors
Other features I designed for with the learnings and momentum from the word game.
Other features I designed for with the learnings and momentum from the word game.
These tools gave students a better way to learn new words. Something that could help them do better in school and feel more confident in everyday life. Src: Pexels
These tools gave students a better way to learn new words. Something that could help them do better in school and feel more confident in everyday life. Src: Pexels
You made it. What's next?
You made it. What's next?
© 2025 LUIS YUJA
© 2025 LUIS YUJA
© 2025 LUIS YUJA