A three-in-one vacuum cleaner
Year:
2021
Type:
Hardware Development
,
How might we establish Cisco in the B2C market by leveraging its expertise in audio and video recording, IT security, and data privacy, while evolving its design language into a consumer brand?
About the Project
Webcast was developed as part of a strategic product design term project under the initiative “Your Life, Your Cisco”, which aimed to transition Cisco’s brand identity from B2B to B2C. The project focused on strategically expanding Cisco’s expertise in audio and video communication into the consumer space, building on the company’s legacy of high-quality, secure technology - particularly through its Webex platform.
The result was Webcast - a dedicated audio recording ecosystem tailored to the needs of entry-level podcasters, journalists, remote workers, and creatives seeking an effortless recording experience. Webcast enables users to plan, record, edit, and publish without relying on third-party tools or specific technical know-how.
Collaborators
Design Team
:
Yue Zhao, Oscar Olsson, Nils Achenbach
Tutoring
:
Thomas Degn, Johan Gustavsson
Industry Partner
:
Electrolux
Project Duration
:
2 week design sprint
The challenge
Our research and interviews with podcasters revealed three key challenges in their workflow. Many find audio technology overly complex and don’t want to spend time researching brands, troubleshooting setups, or repeatedly checking if their equipment is properly configured and recording. Instead, they need a plug-and-play solution that allows them to focus on content creation without technical distractions.
This is where Webcast was born - a dedicated, intuitive audio recording platform designed to integrate seamlessly with Cisco’s Webex ecosystem. Inspired by Cisco’s legacy in secure, high-quality communication technology, Webcast was developed as a frictionless solution for entry-level podcasters, journalists, home office workers, and creatives who want to capture professional-grade audio without the need for third-party software or extensive technical knowledge.
One of the biggest needs we uncovered was adaptability. Podcasting doesn’t just happen in controlled studios - recording takes place at home, in co-working spaces, and on the go. Our solution needed to seamlessly adjust to different recording conditions, ensuring high-quality audio without constant manual tweaks.
The ecosystem
The missing link to Webex
We identified that post-production editing remains a major pain point for entry-level users, with creators spending valuable time balancing audio levels and refining recordings instead of focusing on their content. To solve this, we designed an AI-powered editing tool directly into Webcast, eliminating the need for external software. This allows users to plan, record, edit, and publish their podcasts seamlessly within Webex, streamlining the entire workflow. By removing reliance on tools like iMovie or the Adobe Suite, Webcast offers am integrated AI-powered editing toolbox that makes podcasting as easy as hitting record.
Are you interested in learning more about the project, the tools I used, challenges I faced and the lessons learned? Contact me for the full project documentation that dives deeper into my design process.
