Flying should be fun and so
should your first day!

Southwest is known for their outstanding customer service. When they realized their new-hire experience didn’t match the excellence of their flight experience, their learning team set out to make a change.

Together we created a companion app to help make the unfamiliar familiar for all Southwest’s new hires.

Using a great app is like getting the window seat … oh so sweet

We came together with Southwest’s team to dream about what a great new-hire experience looks like, and we left energized with a vision for a custom companion app. The key to the experience? High-quality, thoughtful, modern design.

First, we wanted to make the app a personalized experience. The SWA U app greets you upon sign in, requires a selfie to set your profile up (cheese!), and has an onboarding schedule based on your role—a few reminders that this app is tailor-made for y-o-u.

Second, just like flying with Southwest, this app is hassle-free—there’s a simple and intuitive user experience to thank for that.

And third, the SWA U app is actually helpful! Why else would learners keep coming back to the app again and again throughout onboarding? This companion app reduces stress and makes every learner’s experience more enjoyable.

Brand always boards first

Southwest has an iconic brand. Most of us know what it feels like to be a Southwest customer and fly the skies in their care—you expect low fares and stellar customer service. Every. Time. So when we went to create their companion app for new hires, we built an app that’s a natural extension of the Southwest brand—one with the same level of dedication to the user experience. To support that brand consistency, we took every design detail into account, like color, type, playful voice and tone, generous use of puns, and of course the big, bold Southwest Heart.

No, we didn’t forget about the admins

The admin experience is just as critical as the new-hire experience, which is why we paid special attention to making it simple and easy to update the system. These admins have the tools to manage content, users, classes, on-campus maps, and even app analytics with just a few clicks. It’s completely self-service, through an intuitive and beautiful experience.