Is your intranet a document dump or a knowledge destination?
Intranets are one of the most important internal communications channels available to you. With the correct approach, they can become a one stop shop for all organisational needs, spanning your company and linking departments and people that might otherwise struggle to come together.
From a speedy communications highway to an up-to-date knowledge base or a collaborative workspace, getting your intranet right is how you can increase efficiency, enhance productivity, improve internal communications, and boost morale.
Turning information into communication
An intranet is only valuable when used, so understanding the hows and whys of that is an essential part of the job we do.
It all starts with asking the right questions: who are your users and what do they need from an intranet? We use this knowledge to underpin our development process - a mix of smart information architecture, clear designs, and thorough content management ensures that what we build together is more than a storage space for unread documents.
Keeping it fresh
However, delivering value and improving the ways people work and communicate is a process of continuous adjustment - a once and done approach will not cut it here.
Your intranet is one of the most dynamic tools in your kit and has the potential to continually evolve into an invaluable support for your business. By periodically reassessing its performance, you can create the space and opportunities it needs to develop in sync with your wider business operations.
The process for creating a successful intranet
- Researching users and defining their needs.
- Performing user tests to build an intuitive site structure.
- Ensuring the necessary functionalities are in place (e.g. a search function)
- Designing visually stimulating pages to emphasise key messages and narratives.
- Reviewing your current content; either adapting it to the new intranet structure and tone of voice or supporting your content owners with creating brand new content.