There was a time when all routers were ugly boxes designed only to perform. Looks played no importance because it was normal to relegate them to the back of the closet or tucked away in the corner below your desk. Out of sight, out of mind. About 5 years ago things started to change. Design became valuable even for the oft’ dejected little router. Companies like Netgear and Belkin started redesigning the ubiquitous little box but with more sex. Now they were good looking enough to be proudly displayed alongside your computer and media center.
But what about Linksys? What about the old workhouse – black and purple with more antennas than you can count. If you haven’t noticed, Linksys has evolved. Design is now taken seriously within the company. I spoke with Chris Landry, Senior Executive Director of Worldwide Design & Experience within the Cisco Consumer Business Group about where Linksys was, and where they have come since his entrance 2 years ago.
When Chris Landry took up residence at Linksys, now a part of Cisco – there was no real design ethos in regard to their products. The designs usually came straight from OEMs. He initiated a worldwide visual audit and with his new design team based in Irvine, California – took 3 months to evaluate every hardware collateral they had.
Meanwhile their competitors were selling sleek shiny routers with internal antennas and the public ate them up. I myself remember shopping for a new router and walking right past all the Linksys products because they were a bit underwhelming. Sure it had 2 giant antennas but the perforated black plastic and purple face looked like a rush job. I opted for the alien saucer shaped Apple Extreme instead. Was it better? In my mind yes – mostly because if a company spent that much time on the exterior, then it only made sense the same was given to the innards. In reality I know the exterior could be used to hide a shitty interior but that’s the point – design not only communicates who you are, but also shifts what a consumer thinks. Landry’s job seemed titanic and if his direction didn’t work – the proverbial ship would have sank.
Routers are a balance between precise engineering and for the consumer’s sake; aesthetics. They extensively tested the new routers to make sure internal antennas would be as powerful as the external ones. The challenge and risk was to convince people nothing was sacrificed. People equate antennas with wireless transmissions and when they don’t see it, they think it’s subpar. But Landry likens the evolution of his routers to that of the TV and auto industry. Take a look at where their antennas used to be and how they’re engineered now.
The new generation of Linksys routers are sleek, softly rounded, accessible looking and dare I say sexy? The old monotonous blinking lights are now replaced by LED lit iconography. Landry describes it as “aspirational, bringing emotional connectivity.” The “new way” has even opened doors to a new design center in Copenhagen. The two teams work closely together with Landry at the helm. Design and engineering now work in tandem as designers spearhead initial concepts, but never at the detriment of performance. In just 2 years time the new Linksys product line can stand toe-to-toe with their competitors. When routers were still wired, it made sense to tuck them away with all the other cables. In our wireless world the freedom from those cables have moved routers up front and center. They’re the communication hubs between all of our computers, TVs, and game consoles. Linksys is on a mission to change the minds of everyone who doubted them. Their new renaissance has even reached into interface design with the recently launched line of wireless home audio products. I’m personally amazed how quickly Landry was able to change Linksys and as their design language continues to evolve, I’m itching to see more.
Company: Linksys
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