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Reimagining Cisco’s IT Training Platform

Cisco U. received the Brandon Hall Group™ Silver Award in 2024 for Best Advance in Education Delivered Through Technology.

Since 1984, Cisco has been a trusted source for tech leaders who want to stay up-to-date on their IT skills. The company saw an opportunity to enhance its digital learning experience and turned to Blink to make it happen. Cisco asked us to reimagine its training platform with a learner-first approach that would empower IT professionals to accelerate their careers further and faster.

Services
Envisioning
Product design
Brand strategy
UX research
Industry
Education tech
IT training
Timeline
9 months
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Our approach

Parallel Workstreams

Partnering with Cisco, we created product and marketing teams that collaborated closely with Cisco’s internal teams. This nine-month cross-collaboration helped accelerate our processes, increase brand alignment, and create an inspiring platform solution.

Cs2023 mograph1
Cs2023 mograph1

Product

Envisioning / Foundational research / Product strategy / Interaction design / Visual design / Usability testing

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Cs2023 mograph2

Brand

Naming and logo design / Content strategy / Copywriting / Illustration / Motion design / Event design / Social media

Design Driven by Evidence

10

Stakeholder interviews

12

Foundational research sessions

24

Concept testing sessions

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Signature Product Experiences

Expert Instructors

Gain valuable insights with comprehensive, modularized content created by industry experts.

Signature product experiences

Interactive Labs

Practice your skills in a live coding environment with real-time feedback.

Signature product experiences

Goal Setting

Stay focused on your training by setting goals with your instructors.

Signature product experiences

Expert Instructors

Gain valuable insights with modularized content created by industry experts.

Signature product experiences

Active Community

Connect with instructors and other IT pros using your personalized dashboard.

Cisco U
Interactive Lab
Goal Setting
Expert Instructors
Active Community 1

We knew we needed to create a new learner first experience that leapt ahead of the competition. Blink helped us succeed beyond expectations and helped our teams learn new methods along the way. The successful partnership enabled us to get to market faster with the right solutions.

Cisco U Quote Headshot Gary

Gary Tondini, Senior Director Experiences, Cisco

Brand Touchpoints

The new Cisco U. brand features unique design elements that give a nod to Cisco’s established brand legacy.

Landing page
Landing page
Name & logo marks
Name & logo marks
Swag
Swag
Conference branding
Conference branding
Print design
Print design
Event design
Event design
Social media
Social media
Conference swag
Conference swag

It’s one thing to say, ‘Here’s a digital library. Go out and learn.’ But, it’s a much different experience to get that personalized learning delivered for you, for your needs, based on your level of knowledge and the skillset you’re trying to obtain, and that’s really what Cisco U. is.

Cisco U Quote Headshot Par

Par Merat, Vice President of Learning and Certifications, Cisco

Want to create better experiences for your users? 
Let’s talk!

Connect with our client relations lead

Client

Cisco

Industry

Education Tech

IT Training

Links / Press / News

Cisco U

Cisco U. Wins Silver at Prestigious Awards

Preparing Our Country for a Cyber Future | The White House | Cisco Systems Collaboration

Meet Cisco U. Tech Learning Shaped to You

Cisco U. Stops Partners From Getting ‘Lost In The Sea Of Trainings’

Blink Teams

  • Product
  • Abe Poultridge
  • Alex Penman
  • Ben Shown
  • Caryn Arredondo
  • Chris Mueller
  • Dan Kellet
  • Elodie Kwan
  • Karen Wang
  • Megan Greco
  • Sarah Miller
  • Teresa Liu Park
  • Brand
  • Andrew Lenzini
  • Ángel López
  • Brigitt Rains
  • Christen Dute
  • Clayton High
  • Eric Huang
  • Jill Hannay
  • Jorge Hernandez
  • Marissa Bea
  • Megan Doll
  • Michael Clark
  • Peter Stern
  • Sarah Miller
  • Sofia Cababa Wood
  • Tony Leininger
  • Client Relations
  • Kendall Dargitz