Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product Design. Behind this achievement is a design philosophy deeply rooted inempathy, simplicity, and clarity-principles that guide every decision made by the Cisco Product Experience (PX) team.

Such a dedicated approach results in innovative solutions in the wireless space, like the new Cisco Wireless 9179F Access Point-the industry's first enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 7 high-density access point. The CW9179F is made specifically for connecting large public venues, such as stadiums, arenas, festivals, airports, and anywhere where reliable and high-performing connectivity is needed.

With unmatched performance in high-density environments, software-controllable beam switching, seamless management capabilities, advanced security, and-of course-a beautiful design, the CW9179F proves you don't have to sacrifice performance for looks. You can have both.

Designed with intention: The PX philosophy

Industrial design is central to Cisco product development. The PX team's mission is to make powerful technology feel natural, intuitive, and effortless. Design begins withempathy-addressing the needs of installers, IT administrators, business owners, and end users.Simplicityreduces friction at every surface, touchpoint, and interaction.Claritycomes from managing the complexity behind the scenes so that the end-user experience feels seamless.

While Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points share a consistent look, each generation of products evolves to balance brand integrity and innovation. Early concepts explore bold ideas, tested against real-world constraints like thermal requirements, supply chain realities, material availability, sustainability, and cost. The PX team partners with engineers to ensure the essence of the design endures from concept through production.

Lastly, sustainability is integral to everything we do-from material choices to packaging, reducing environmental impact without compromising design integrity. Great design respects the needs of today and tomorrow.

Designed for everyone

Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points are designed for everyone. For installers, they're ergonomic, familiar, and quick to deploy, with an unchanged universal mounting system for seamless upgrades. Visual cues enable easy orientation, while purposeful ergonomics enable reliable installations without additional training.

For IT professionals, the unified design language ensures consistency across the Cisco Wi-Fi 7 portfolio. Whether managing a single branch or scaling across thousands of sites, the consistency of design indicates reliability and builds intuitive understanding at any scale.

For business owners and occupants of spaces-from cafes to stadiums-the design blends effortlessly into the environment, while close inspection reveals the quality and care that reflect the Cisco technological edge. It elevates spaces without overpowering them.

Designed for performance, scalability, and sustainability

The leap from Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 redefines what's possible in enterprise wireless. With multi-link operation, quad-radio connectivity, 320 MHz channels, and AI-driven optimization, performance expectations are revolutionary. Cisco Wi-Fi 7 solutions provide:

• Support for powerful internal components and elevated thermal output
• Compatibility with the existing Cisco universal mount system
• Reduction or elimination of virgin resin and plastics in packaging
• A seamless visual and functional unification between Meraki and Catalyst product lines
• Adaptability across a growing number of future SKUs

The PX team envisioned a scalable platform that balances size, features, and market tiers without losing identity or compromising usability. Through broad exploration-sketching, modeling, and contrasting themes like organic vs. geometric and minimal vs. monolithic-we shaped a cohesive visual language grounded in the legacy of Cisco. This "evolution-with-purpose" approach guided us as we ran thermal tests in parallel, leading us to select a full diecast aluminum base for optimal heat dissipation.

Designed for connectivity

For Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points, the design story is called "Mesh"-inspired by the wave interference patterns that symbolize interconnected networking. Two intersecting surface creases create smooth facets across the top cover to the centrally placed Cisco logo and LED, delivering a dynamic, connected, and intentional form.

Evolving from Wi-Fi 6E's single-source wave concept to Wi-Fi 7's multi-signal interaction, Mesh reflects hybrid management and the unification of Catalyst and Meraki. The design introduces fresh visual elements, preserves key functions, and scales seamlessly across SKUs. And through it all, sustainability remains a cornerstone:

• 50-60% post-consumer recycled resin top cover
• Recycled aluminum base
• Plastic-free, recycled packaging
• Minimized fasteners for easier disassembly and recycling

Designed as a foundation for the future

Mesh is a scalable, sustainable, and iconic platform shaping the future of Cisco wireless networking. With more SKUs in development, the Mesh design language unifies our product portfolio while enabling ongoing innovation. The CW9179F enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 7 high-density access point exemplifies this vision, combining cutting-edge performance with the design language that defines our commitment to user-first experiences.

Winning the 2025 Red Dot Product Design Award is a landmark moment, affirming our values of user-first thinking, visual storytelling, simplicity, and empathic design. This is what happens when design is built for people, backed by engineering, and purpose-driven.

Feast your eyes on the next generation of wireless technology

with Cisco Wi-Fi 7 access points.