Every job can be a springboard to something better.

CAEL + McDonald’s
Digital Experience Strategy, Research, Design Facilitation, Prototype Testing

As a massive employer whose U.S. workforce has a huge diversity of skills and ambitions, McDonald’s has challenged itself to earn a distinction as “America’s Best First Job.” That means providing resources and programs that workers can use to navigate their own individual path toward education, future employment (inside or outside the company), and personal fulfillment. In partnership with the nonprofit Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) — a decades-long advocate for improving nontraditional education — McDonald’s sought to design a mobile app that would make it simple for employees to access information and friendly guidance toward their professional goals.

Our team at GoKart Labs was engaged to join with CAEL and its sister company InsideTrack (both affiliates of the Strada Education Network) as a digital innovation partner, which gave me the chance to contribute in the form of research, design facilitation, strategy, and MVP product testing. With emphasis on speed-to-market, we helped to shepherd existing content and assets that could quickly get to a testable experience while also keeping sufficient focus on ways to make it feel uniquely valuable and engaging for McDonald’s employees. The Archways to Careers app formally launched in 2020, with features including a personal inventory survey, self-paced content, and real-time career advising to help employees map out the next steps in their professional journey.

Agency: GoKart Labs
Partners: CAEL, InsideTrack, Strada Education Network