Cisco learning network redesign
Learn with Cisco is a large division of Cisco that provides technical education to IT aspirants and pros of all levels. The Cisco Learning Network (CLN) is the community site associated with Learn with Cisco. It provides supplemental free learning, career guidance, and a place for a global audience of learners to connect and network with IT experts.
Starting in 2025, I have co-led a phased re-design of this site, to modernize the experience and encourage user engagement. This work is ongoing and will include streamlining discussion forums, creating new ways for Learn with Cisco experts to connect with learners, and automating key site functions, like dynamic content delivery.
Content audit and information architecture
The Cisco Learning Network has existed for over a decade and migrated from platform to platform several times. This created technical debt and content sprawl, so my team, alongside CLN community managers, did a content inventory, simplified the site structure, and re-categorized the items in the site’s navigation. These improvements make it simpler for learners to find the key areas of interaction, like discussion forums and learning resources. Several high-profile community contributors reached out to our team, unprompted, to compliment the new IA and tell us how much easier it now is to find what they’re looking for on the site.
Content strategy
To enhance the utility of the CLN site, we opted to add training guidance for users who need a path to success in key areas of IT, like AI, cybersecurity, and networking. As the content strategist on this project, I I mapped and wireframed a new section of the site, dedicated to providing that guidance. The new section aggregates technology-specific learning resources from across Learn with Cisco’s vast library of content, from free videos and study guides, to courses and labs, to certifications learners can earn to prove their mastery of these key technologies.
We also opted to add dedicated top-level landing pages for each section of the site, giving users a mental model of how the site is structured, and helping them dive into community resources, certification information, and learning guidance. I led content strategy and UX design for these pages as well.
Prototyping
To assist in “selling” our CLN site strategy across the Learn with Cisco organization, I created a fully functional Figma prototype, allowing stakeholders to click around and experience the content before we launched. This prototype was also used to do user testing on a few of the key pages, which were overwhelmingly positive toward the user experience, content and easy-to-navigate layouts. I continue to update this prototype as we move further into the redesign, ensuring that future updates complement the work we’ve already done and improve user journeys through the site overall.
Design system development and Figma Library
The CLN site overhaul included major visual design changes, to align with the Learn with Cisco brand identity. Our website designer and I co-created a design system and component library within Figma, ensuring all new and redesigned pages are consistent and accelerating the publishing process by globalizing styles and components. I update this library any time we design a new element for the site.
