User Interface (UI) - This site has a white background, and takes you straight to the games. Each game has a small and colorful icon, easy to be recognized. At the top are the Daily Crosswords, which makes sense because they are the oldest and largest of the games. Below are mini games such as Spelling Bee, Wordle, and Connections, and below these games are the Daily Minis, which are shorter versions of the main crosswords. Finally, below all these games is the archive and packs, for when a user doesn't want to play one of the daily games. This order the app presents the games makes sense based on their popularity, except that Wordle and Connections should be at the very front. There is no sound, except for an optional song for when the user wins the Daily or Mini Crossword or Sudoku, making it a great game to play when waiting in public or listening to music. The games are mostly straight-forward and easy to use (not necessarily easy to play!), except that the keyboard is lower and more condensed in the app than it is for texting and other apps, at least on iPhone. This causes me (and probably other players) to make a lot of typos, which can be very frustrating. 

User Experience (UX)- Many people, including myself, use the NYT games first thing in the morning, maybe while having a cup of coffee, as a way to wake up and get ready for the day. They're personally one of the only ways I can get myself up in the morning! One interesting part about the puzzles is that they are updated at different times. For example, Wordle and Connections get their puzzles at midnight at whatever time is local to the user, Spelling Bee updates at 3am EST, and the Daily Crossword updates at 10pm EST, and 6pm EST on weekends. This works for me as a morning player, but my mom doesn't like it, because she only has time to do the puzzles right before bed. Because of the lack of noise in the game, I find it very calming and refreshing. It makes me feel like I am taking a productive break, rather than wasting my time on social media or playing a normal mobile game. I also appreciate that for most of these puzzles, there is just one per day. This stops me from getting too addicted and endlessly playing more and more games. 

Reflect on How this Resource Might Impact or Support Digital Wellness - I think that the NYT Games app is one of the better apps that I have, since it's genuinely challenging and really makes me think. I don't have the opportunity to do puzzles very often, so it's nice to have them available anytime I need! I have definitely learned some trivia through the crosswords, and just generally feel better about myself when I'm actively thinking and problem solving. 

Reflect on the Accessibility of the Application or Tool You Choose -Just like with the New York Times news app, there aren't any accommodations for the games, either. You can zoom in on some of the games, such as the crosswords, which is helpful, but since I have trouble typing my answers because of the change in keyboard position, I can imagine this would also be difficult for people with mobility issues such as tremors or vision problems, who may rely on the keys being in the same spot.

Being aware of digital design and wellness allows us teachers to think deeply about what tools we are giving our students. Some technology may be too frustrating for some students, and might distract from the lesson. Some technology may just not be accessible for students with different needs, and it wouldn't be fair to give everyone else the tool and not them. Technology is a great tool for teaching, but not all of it is appropriate for every student.