Bringing enterprise-grade WiFi management to small business owners

Enterprise hardware, consumer audience

Cisco Meraki makes some of the most powerful networking hardware in the world, but its products are built for IT professionals managing fleets of devices across enterprise infrastructure. The product team was tasked with creating a down-market consumer-grade product for small business owners. My job was to design the product experience for this new target customer.

Understanding the users

I conducted a mix of on-site visits, surveys, and in-depth interviews to learn about the networking needs and personas of small business owners. There was a gap between the needs of enterprise customers and basic ISP products that was not being filled. These users were the prime target for Meraki Go and they largely fell into two groups:

• The DIY Owner — Scrappy, entrepreneurial, willing to learn if it saves money. They tended to set up ad-hoc solutions without knowing if it was secure, or simply used what ISPs gave them out of the box. Some were letting customers onto their main network without realizing the risk. Others thought guest WiFi could help their business, but avoided setting it up out of fear of neighbors freeloading on their connection.
• The Hands-Off Owner — This group found networking intimidating and chose to outsource the job. However, their networking needs were relatively straightforward compared to the expensive enterprise-level products that professional IT staff used. It meant they were prime target users for Meraki Go's products.

Both groups would benefit from using Meraki Go, but had different challenges that needed to be addressed. The DIY Owner needed better built-in best practices to reduce security risks and give them peace of mind. The Hands-Off Owner needed approachability and confidence that they could set up their own networking solutions. Meraki Go had to do both.

Designing for people who don't think about networking

Mobile first

Small business owners are not always on-site or even stationary, and a mobile platform was the ideal way to manage the network on-the-go. I proposed launching with a mobile-first approach to best meet our user's needs, no matter where they were.

Help small business owners overcome their resistance to technology

I made a prototype of the app and tested to see how tech-wary users responded to it. Clear and engaging illustrations combined with simple terminology made the app feel approachable. In testing, users consistently understood what they needed to do. Realizing that they had set up their own networking stack built their confidence.

Build networking and security best practices into the app

As the sole product designer working with a team of four engineers, I designed every part of the app. I illustrated and animated the onboarding instructions to guide users through networking setup.

I simplified formal terminology and built flows to monitor internet usage, block malicious activity, and filter content. I built default settings designed for small business owners to keep their networks secure and fast.

Beyond the app itself, I worked across marketing, brand, and hardware packaging to ensure the experience was consistent from the moment someone opened the box.

A new kind of Meraki user

Non-technical users set up and managed their own networks with confidence, without calling a professional.

The product line was eventually sunset, but the app lived on. The screens, patterns, and workflows I designed and built for Meraki Go became the foundation for Cisco Meraki's first-ever mobile app for its enterprise Dashboard. It proved that networking can be made simple enough to fit into the palm of your hand.