For new developers, or for developers coming from other languages?
I think a lot of the trouble people have with starting to develop apps for Apple platforms actually comes from trying to figure out the APIs and style, while at the same time battling against unfamiliar syntax. From the little I've seen, Swift doesn't change the first part of that very much.
I think both. I have a young cousin who is starting to show interest in programming, and when I think of showing her Objective-C, I grimace inside because it has taken me so long to become comfortable with it, and I'm coming from other languages and years of experience. But I think I can walk through Swift with her, and we can learn it at the same time - me bridging the gaps because I come from another language, and her learning how to program for the first time.
I would imagine that is very on the reasons for creating it.