problem:

All Linksys routers had a CD setup and CD drives were disappearing from computers. Two code bases for separate, but similar networking products was challenging to manage. Users had limited visibility into their home networks when away from home. Many users in each demographic felt limited in functionality and wanted more advanced feature sets.

goal:

Innovate on the setup workflow. Create a single, easily accessible browser-based portal that supports both mainstream and expert demographics where users could securely login and choose their level of engagement in managing their home networks.

process:

Collaboration, solicitation of feedback and iteration.

artifacts:

results:

• Easy Router setup experience using a USB device and a browser-based network management tool called Linksys Smart Wi-Fi.

• Access enabled to user’s home networks while away from home. Users could set it up and forget it or choose the level of engagement in more advanced management of their home networks.

• Linksys Smart Wi-Fi combined with a refreshed Easy Connect router setup, provided a consistent visual language from setup management software.

• Paved the way for IoT home networking ecosystems by lowering the technical bar for everyday people and enabling cloud-based home network management with very little technical knowledge.

my role:

User research, support team collaboration, UX design, UI design, illustration, design documentation.

problem:

Linksys router setup required 7-12 steps and up to 20+ minutes with a high rate of failure. The experience left user’s fatigued and distrustful, and provided very little user education. Any additional network management capabilities were buried in the difficult to understand router admin portal and only accessible by typing the routers IP address into a browser.

goal:

Streamline the 7-12 step setup experience to 3 easy steps. Create networking management software clients that enable both the nontechnical mainstream user and more expert user.

process:

User research, solicitation of feedback, UX design, iteration.

artifacts:

results:

• Easy Connect Setup, a three step CD-setup process to get connected to the internet with near 100% success rate.

• The router setup was coupled with network management software, Valet software for mainstream users and Cisco Connect for expert users.

• The software experience provided focus on the most-used functionality for that demographic and included friendly informative networking language.

• This easy router setup and following hassle free network management experience, providing an approachable, educational and empowering UI, were industry-first paradigms.

my role:

UX design, UI design, illustration

problem:

Network Magic was a home networking product. The look and feel and functionality of the application was intended to inspire trust and convey security, user research indicated these were the most important concerns users. UI was dated and felt more like a baby-blue version of Microsoft Windows 4 (circa ‘96) software. The current functionality was focussed on lowering the bar for less technical users while leaving more technical users with no reason to be interested in the product offerings.

goal:

Add functionality and provide a more robust, professional and modern looking networking product to entice a more technical user base. Continue to simplify complex networking tasks and enabling our less technical user demographic.

process:

User research, solicitation of feedback, UX design, iteration.

results:

• Network Magic 5.5 product update included a number of feature enhancements.

• More robust notification and task discoverability system.

• Full re-skinning of the application that included an overhaul of all iconography.

my role:

UX design, UI design, illustration