No one said it was going to be easy. The intranet is not a website.
On an intranet, design is a secondary consideration — unless it’s bad and then you’ll learn how important it really is. Oh, the whining about the design at your organization probably rivals the whining about the search engine. Yes, design takes a back seat to planning, governance, content, search, tools, even usability. However, design can enhance and detract from all of these elements or enhance them; in essence, your intranet’s design is in some respects, the most important partner of all your critical elements.
A designer of websites does not make a designer of intranets. Intranet design is more science than art; more business than creative; more functional than emotional. Design largely focuses on the esthetics — colour and images. Separate of design is spatial layout, information architecture, content structure, usability, tools, etc. More important than all of the above, is governance: who owns and manages the intranet, and what is the process for managing the intranet and its content.
Continue reading: Intranet Design
No one said it was going to be easy. The intranet is not a website.
On an intranet, design is a secondary consideration – unless it’s bad and then you’ll learn how important it really is. Oh, the whining about the design… at your organization, it probably rivals the whining about the search engine. Yes, design takes a back seat to planning, governance, content, search, tools, even usability. However, design can enhance and detract from all of these elements or enhance them; in essence, your intranet’s design is in some respects, the most important partner of all your critical elements.
NNE Pharmaplan’s social intranet home page (source: NNE Pharmaplan)
A designer of websites does not make a designer of intranets. Intranet design is more science than art; more business than creative; more functional than emotional.
James Robertson, founder of Step Two Designs (Sydney, Australia), has a new book on the subject, “Designing intranets: Creating sites that work” that is well worth the read. If you’re going to spend thousands on a redesign, then you would do well to invest US$60 in this book. If you’re crazy enough to undertake a redesign all on your own then you simply must buy this book.
The book covers most of essentials:
В·Common design mistakes
В·Understand staff needs
В·Define the intranet brand
В·Determine your strategy, scope and support
В·Intranet design methodology
В·Test and define the site structure
В·Design the intranet home page
В·Accelerated design approaches
The book also offers some clever insight and suggestions on testing, refining, delivering and launching designs (even with personalization).
James and I have slightly different approaches to intranet design and structure, and occasionally don’t see eye-to-eye on all things intranet, but he really knows his stuff, and has the experience to back it up (even if he does operate in the wrong hemisphere!). You cannot go wrong with his book, only right. Oh, and it also includes a few dozen screenshots of other intranets – including some award winners.
Go buy his book: Designing intranets: Creating sites that work.
Continue reading: Speed kills on roads; lack of speed kills the intranet.
Speaking of Step Two Designs and award winning intranets… their annual report, Intranet Innovations 2010, is now available for purchase. The Report has 163 pages of winning and innovative intranets, including lots of screenshots, and it’s only $189.
Download: Intranet Innovations 2010.
This is really attention-grabbing, You’re an excessively professional blogger. I have joined your feed and stay up for in search of more of your magnificent post. Also, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!