SWI swissinfo.ch is the international online service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR). Since 1935, its mission has been to make Switzerland visible and understandable to the world and to strengthen the ties of Swiss citizens abroad to their home country.

SWIplus gets ready for the future

How can we spark more love for the SWIplus app, and how can it remain the go-to information hub for Swiss citizens abroad in the long term?

Based on its own studies and analyses, SWI swissinfo.ch examined key questions about the app’s further development. We had the pleasure of supporting SWI swissinfo.ch in getting to the bottom of these questions. Drawing on existing studies and analyses as well as user research, we gained insights into the target group’s needs and usage habits, and used them to propose conceptual changes and ideas for new features.

The analytical foundation of the SWIplus relaunch

The key to relaunching the SWIplus app by SWI swissinfo.ch was an in-depth research phase that underpinned every later decision, from brand identity and product architecture to communication strategy.

Identity as the starting point

First, the brand identity of the SWIplus app was sharpened: What defines SWI swissinfo.ch, and what unique value does the app offer its audiences around the world?

This led to a central guiding statement: “Stay connected to the heartbeat of Switzerland, wherever you are in the world.”

This statement captures the ambition of SWI swissinfo.ch, as an independent, multilingual news service, to reliably inform Swiss people living outside the country, to build an emotional bond with them and to offer them a digital home that keeps them connected to Switzerland.

Target groups

The target group analysis confirmed three established user segments, which served as the basis for the app’s further conceptual development.

• The roughly 826,000 Swiss citizens living abroad

• People and organizations interested in how Switzerland is perceived abroad and committed to supporting the Swiss abroad

• Swiss citizens planning to emigrate

  These groups share similar expectations when it comes to background information, news and personal experience reports.

These groups share similar expectations when it comes to background information, news and personal experience reports.

The research phase revealed two core needs:

1. Orientation

   Users want an overview of current events and decisions in Switzerland. This is about heuristic information processing: What happened? What is relevant to me as someone living abroad?

2. Identification
   Users are personally affected by certain topics or want to influence aspects of their lives abroad. Here, the focus is on in-depth information processing and interaction: What affects me? What do I want to know more about? How can I make a difference?
   

These insights formed the basis for the navigation structure, the app’s architecture and the definition of its core features.

App structure and core features

Based on the research findings, we developed a three-part navigation structure with the sections “Today,” “MySWIPlus,” and “Topics.” These three sections help users quickly find their way around the app and enjoy a more personalized experience.

The "Today" section brings together the most relevant and current news from Switzerland for Swiss citizens abroad. At its heart is the well-established "Briefing", which has been providing a clear summary of the day’s most important Swiss news for several years. The section also offers quick access to content that puts "Switzerland in the world" into context, specific content for the "Swiss Abroad Community", information on "Emigrating", as well as analyses and information on current elections and votes.

Especially handy for Swiss people abroad: the SWIplus app offers central access to selected content from SRF, RTS and RSI without a VPN, including the main edition of the “Tagesschau” news program and the radio show “Echo der Zeit”.

The "mySWI Plus" section features news from users’ favorite cantons as well as an individual reading list.

Finally, the "Topics" section provides an overview of all dossiers, from politics to culture, along with analyses, videos and podcasts. Users can mark individual topics as favorites, giving them even faster access to all related content.

Continuous development

The SWIplus app is continuously being developed and improved. Features for enhanced personalization and the option to select multiple languages are currently being implemented for logged-in users, with input from the target group.

The campaign as an amplifier

The app’s relaunch in March 2025 was accompanied by a multilingual, cross-media campaign. Developed by Hella Studio in close collaboration with SWI swissinfo.ch, the campaign speaks directly to the Swiss Abroad community.

It features SWI swissinfo.ch employees as well as Swiss citizens abroad, who were authentically portrayed for the campaign. A speech bubble with the slogan "Hi, Swiss Abroad!" makes it possible to address the Swiss abroad directly in all of Switzerland’s national languages.

Positive impact of the changes

Usage figures from March to September 2025 show that the new features and the accompanying campaign reached their audience.

• The number of app visitors rose by 48%.

• The share of returning users has also grown steadily since then, increasing by more than 40%.

• Since the relaunch, SWIplus has consistently ranked among the top 20 apps in the News category, with an average rating of 4.6/5 from more than 1,200 reviews. This reflects strong, public and verifiable engagement, loyalty and satisfaction.

Consulting and concept development, design support, UX writing

Our collaboration with SWI swissinfo.ch began with a consulting mandate. Based on research into market developments and usage behavior, and the new conceptual ideas derived from it, we created a solid basis for decision-making for the app’s relaunch.

Since then, we have been continuously supporting the SWI swissinfo.ch team in UX design and UX writing. The technical implementation is carried out by the SWI swissinfo.ch team and a partner company.