project overview
improve the cisco directory photo upload experience by using ai to validate guideline compliance in real time, reducing approval delays, manual review effort, and user frustration.
project Type
product design & strategy
YEAR
2025
MY ROLE
lead product designer
Company
cisco
PROBLEM
Employees often submit profile photos that do not meet Cisco’s guidelines, resulting in manual rejections, delayed approvals, and repeated resubmissions. Feedback is provided only after review, creating frustration for users and significant workload for the Corporate Security & Badging team. The process is inefficient, slow, and does not scale.
SOLUTION
An AI-powered validator is embedded in the photo upload flow to provide real-time compliance checks and instant, actionable feedback. This allows employees to correct issues before submitting, increasing first-time approvals while reducing manual review and approval delays.
USERS
Employees: Uploading profile photos
Corporate Security & Badging Team: Reviewing and approving submissions
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Quick tips available before upload to guide photo selection
Before uploading a photo, users are given quick access to visual tips that clearly outline the profile picture guidelines. These tips help employees choose an appropriate photo upfront, reducing errors during upload and increasing the likelihood of first-time approval.
Real-time AI compliance validation
Square crop tool aligned with circular profile photos
before
The crop tool used a rectangular frame that did not match the circular profile photo display, creating confusion about how the final image would appear.
after
The crop experience was updated to a square frame, aligning with common profile photo standards and making the final result clearer and more predictable.
Clear visual indicators for approval readiness
ability to opt out of AI review
ConSTRAINTS
With only two weeks and a small team (myself + content designer) , the project focused on targeted improvements rather than a full redesign. By leveraging existing Directory patterns, we delivered meaningful usability enhancements quickly while maintaining a familiar and seamless experience for users.
RESEARCH & INSPIRATION TAKEN
to kick off this project, I looked into what other companies were doing in how they incorporated AI into their photo validation that user uploads too see what common and best practices were. unfortunately I was only able to find two other resources that did this which was Airbnb and 24hour fitness.
Airbnb
what I liked
I liked how Airbnb points out things that users should reconsider when uploading their photo but they still have the option to submit. This was similar to our required case study.
24 hour fitness
what I liked
I liked how 24hour fitness pointed out specific things that were not compliant. The flow was very straightforward
We’ll track how this design performs and decide on next steps using the established success metrics.
Reduce manual rejections by 50% within six months.
Achieve a first-time approval rate of over 90%.
Improve user satisfaction to an average score of 4 out of 5 or higher.
Complete the AI validation process within an average of 3 seconds per image.
REFLECTION
This project reminded me how much impact small, focused changes can have. Working with tight timelines and limited resources taught me to prioritize what matters most for users, like clear feedback and intuitive interactions, while still making AI feel helpful and easy to use.