Designing a human-centered employee experience at West Arete
A fully remote onboarding and culture initiative rooted in belonging, thoughtful design, and values-aligned creative systems.
At West Arete, culture is more than a set of values on a wall, it’s a daily practice. As a Certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet, the company exists to do meaningful work in meaningful ways, both for its clients in higher education and for the people building the software behind the scenes. Its mission is simple and bold: to give employees the best working years of their lives.
As Creative Lead, I focused on translating that mission into moments that matter—designing experiences that helped people feel connected, seen, and supported, even in a fully remote workplace. One of the most important challenges was reimagining the early employee experience, beginning from the moment someone accepted an offer.
✳ THE CHALLENGE
Solving for disconnection in a remote workplace.
West Arete’s hiring process was intentionally designed, but once an offer was signed, a long pause often followed before a new hire’s first day. In that time, people could feel uncertain, disconnected, or even forgotten—especially without informal touchpoints that happen naturally in physical workplaces.
The company had invested in hiring thoughtfully. Now it needed an onboarding experience that reflected that same care, one that honored the emotional arc of joining a team, and made people feel welcome, seen, and prepared before day one.
To understand the problem more clearly, I worked closely with leadership and employees to identify the key pain points. We talked about the awkwardness of long lead times, the desire for personal connection, and the disconnect between values and experience in those first few weeks.
That insight shaped everything that followed.
✳ THE SOLUTION
I set out to create an onboarding experience that not only bridged this gap but turned it into something meaningful. Using employee experience design principles, I focused on two key goals: providing clarity and creating human moments of connection.
STEP 1
Curated onboarding communication
I designed a series of five onboarding emails that met new employees with warmth, clarity, and purpose. Each email covered a specific part of their journey: from what to expect with the company’s workplace audit process, to tips for getting started as a remote team member.
One of the most meaningful emails was a team introduction. It included light, personal details about each team member; hobbies, interests, fun facts, and where they were based. It wasn’t just about job titles or departments. It was about creating connection points so that, even in a remote environment, new hires could find common ground and shared experiences right away.
STEP 2
:ship-it:
A Welcome Box that builds culture in a tangible way
To extend that welcome beyond the screen, I designed a custom welcome box that every new employee received before their first day.
This wasn’t a standard-issue swag kit. It was a curated, collaborative experience: each team member chose a small item that represented a personal interest, practical tool, or something fun. I curated these items into a cohesive package, designed a printed map of where team members were located (including the new hire!), a Ship-It Squirrel sticker which would be a familiar face to software developers, and included a welcome note to tie the whole experience together.
It served as a conversation starter, a bridge into team culture, and a physical reminder that—even in a remote environment—they were already part of something real.
EXTENDING THE EXPERIENCE
A culture of care, extended outdoors
Beyond onboarding, I extended this approach into an annual tradition. Alongside a teammate, I helped conceptualize and deliver a unique gift for every employee: a National Park Pass, packaged with a custom sticker referencing company culture and a note that encouraged exploration and reflection.
“Here’s your National Park Pass, courtesy of West Arete. We hope it inspires you to explore and create lasting memories in these beautiful landscapes. Our flexible work approach makes room for a fuller life—it’s up to us to take those steps and make exploration a habit. Cheers and thanks for all you do.”
This gesture wasn’t just about giving a gift. It was about reinforcing the connection between work, life, and the values that bring people to West Arete in the first place. It reflected the company’s belief that supporting team well-being doesn’t stop at a healthy work environment—it includes encouraging joy, movement, and presence outside of it too.
✳ THE OUTCOME
Culture you can feel from day one
These initiatives didn’t rely on flashy perks or hollow culture slogans to help close the emotional and logistical gap that often comes with remote onboarding. New hires felt more connected and welcomed. Team members had shared conversation starters and a deeper sense of shared culture. Most importantly, the experience aligned with West Arete’s mission to create the best working years of people’s lives, not just in principle, but in practice.
“The welcome boxes that you created for each team member were incredible in terms of their creativity and impact; they truly made a difference in creating a stronger connection between each team member, and our sense of connection to the company. This came at a critical time of growth for the company, when team cohesion is most important.”
Scott Woods, CEO and Founder of West Arete
This was employee experience design grounded in empathy, shaped by strategy, and delivered with purpose.