Bang & Olufsen Cisco 950 Earbuds
UX, Interaction Design 2024
Available for purchase @Cisco
Redefined gesture interactions with an asymmetrical model, reducing confusion while expanding functionality.
Overview
Bang & Olufsen and Cisco partnered to bring premium audio into enterprise collaboration. While the hardware design largely stayed the same, my role was to redefine the interaction model—ensuring the 950 earbuds felt natural for everyday calls, media use, and Microsoft Teams certification.
With only a limited set of touch gestures available, the challenge was to balance simplicity (easy to remember) and functionality (covering all critical features). Working closely with UX researchers, I explored different mappings and ultimately introduced an asymmetrical gesture system: the left earbud dedicated to Teams-related features, the right earbud to calls and media control.
This approach delivered a user experience that was both intuitive and enterprise-ready, helping Cisco secure Teams certification while preserving the distinct B&O design DNA.
My Role
Senior Product designer(1)
Defined gesture and button interaction model for Cisco 950 earbuds
Balanced HW/SW constraints while ensuring Teams certification
Team
UX designer(1)
UX researcher(1)
Product manager(1)
HW engineering team
B&O SW/UX/PM team
Project Summary
I led the interaction design for the Cisco 950 earbuds, where the key challenge was mapping limited touch gestures to cover calls, media control, and Microsoft Teams requirements.
To solve this, I collaborated with UX researchers and engineering teams to evaluate different mappings. We introduced an asymmetrical gesture system—left earbud optimized for Teams features, right earbud for general calls and media.
Problems
Limited gestures made controls hard to memorize
Lack of voice prompts reduced clarity
Opportunities
Integrate Microsoft Teams and Webex features
Allow customizable buttons for enterprise needs
Assumptions
Symmetrical gestures
ⓥ Easy to remember (same on both earbuds)
ⓧ Limited number of functions
Asymmetrical gestures
ⓥ Supports more features
ⓧ Harder to memorize
Challenge
How do we design gestures that are simple enough to learn yet flexible enough to cover B&O defaults, Cisco enterprise needs, and Microsoft Teams certification?
Observation
Gesture interactions are highly personal. There’s rarely a single “right” solution—too much complexity leads to confusion, while oversimplification limits functionality. The key was finding a balance.
Decision
Prioritized interaction requirements across B&O, Microsoft Teams, and Webex.
Chose an asymmetrical gesture model: left earbud for Teams, right earbud for calls and media.
This approach provided more control without overwhelming users, and enabled Teams certification.
Interaction specs
Clearly defined gestures across both earbuds simplified usage.
Right earbud focused on calls and music controls, while left earbud handled noise cancellation and Teams functions, making roles intuitive and easy to learn.
Result
Shipped globally with the Cisco 950 earbuds, establishing the final gesture model as part of the core product.
Reduced user confusion by aligning gestures with natural habits (media on the right, Teams on the left).
Improved accessibility through consistent audio/visual feedback and simplified mappings.
Strengthened Cisco’s enterprise presence by meeting Microsoft Teams certification requirements, while preserving B&O’s premium brand feel.
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