Cisco
Networking Academy

CISCO Networking Academy is an education platform for students interested in building skills for careers in information technology.

NetAcad20 celebrates the organization's twenty-year history, showcasing the global impact on the lives of students, educator & partners across the globe.

Overview

CISCO Networking Academy is an international education platform for students interested in building skills for careers in information technology. NetAcad20 celebrates the organization's twenty-year history, showcasing the global impact on the lives of students, educator & partners across the globe.

The CISCO team wanted to create an experience that paid homage to the personal and economic impact of education in various communities across the globe. We incorporated personal stories that humanized the statistics, illustrating the impact on the lives of students and educators of CISCO Networking Academy. We wanted to bridge the narratives of past to potential students, educators and organizations who have yet to discover the Networking Academy.

Outcome

I designed a microsite that engaged alumni, current and future students, educators and partner organizations. The microsite was used in various celebrations in the US, South America, Asia, and UK. Thousands engaged with the social media campaign on Twitter & Facebook, driving up enrollment during the campaign. The results are still viewable on both platforms under the #netacad20 hashtag.

Role

Senior Product Designer

Team

John McNeil Studio Product
Visual Design Team

Tools

Keynote
Sketch
InVision

Goal

Develop a microsite that will be the hub for all related content & 'go-to' place across audiences. It will function as a cross-promotional experience on how to get involved as an educational partner or enroll as a student.

Requirements

Script and video featuring the global NetAcad community

Develop a script to use with CISCO TV to film leaders announcing the NetAcad@20 "story/date/achievements" to the NetAcad community, this would be sent via email pointing to events and conferences to participate and see on the microsite.

Impact Numbers

Visual representation of the impact numbets that quantify the NetAcad20 / @20 story (interactive data visualization)

My Solution

Social media gallery: #netacad20

I wanted to implement a more natural way of sharing experiences to foster a sense of belonging and community. I suggested a social media gallery that contains user generated content from Twitter & Facebook using the hashtag, #netacad20. hashtag sharing the global impact and experience within CISCO NetAcad community.

NetAcad 20's impact in the form of narratives

A story in short video form discussing significance of program overall, detailing the lives + impact for each user group: students, educators, communities, etc. This strategy is meant to empower current and future students.

Submit your story

This is an area on the microsite where we ask people to share their impact as a global problem-solver with NetAcad. We needed functionality where people can submit their personal stories. This highlights the various programs and people involved to inspire future students to explore subjects that they might not consider.

Wireframes

After completing the research, wireframes, prototypes, several iterations and stakeholder buy-in. I teamed up with a JMS visual designer and studio manager to iron out page animations, microinteractions, images, and visual design for the final high-fidelity mockups. I also collaborated with the product manager to finalize the video stories that the media team will put together from educators, students, and partners.

After the end of the NetAcad20 campaign, the assets and components from the microsite were repurposed in the main Networking Academy site. The components can be found on the homepage.

Outcomes

Results & Outcomes

The microsite was used in various celebrations in the US, South America, and UK. Thousands engaged with the social media campaign on Twitter & Facebook. The results are still viewable on both platforms under the #netacad20 hashtag.

The information architecture, narrative + impact numbers strategy are still implemented in the NetAcad website. Since then, components from the NetAcad 20 microsite are peppered around the current NetAcad website.

After the end of the NetAcad20 campaign, the assets and components from the microsite were repurposed in the main Networking Academy site. The components can be found on the homepage.