The document discusses ways to improve an intranet that staff dislike. It suggests implementing small changes to structure, navigation, and design based on user research and trends in outside websites. Specific recommendations include improving intranet structure through card sorting and journeys; training authors in usability and web writing; and considering design trends, breadcrumbs, hyperlinks, and whether the intranet provides what users need up front. The overall message is that even small changes can significantly increase employee engagement with an intranet.

1. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
How to
Resuscitate
your Intranet

2. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
1.The real reason staff hate
your intranet
2.What you can do about it
3.How even the smallest of
How even small changes can
make things much better

3. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
1.The real reason staff hate
your intranet
2.What you can do about it
3.How even small changes can
make things much better

4. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
1.The real reason staff hate
your intranet
2.What you can do about it
3.How even small changes
can make things much
better

5. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
…you’ll get 5
Takeaways

6. “Our intranet is rubbish”
“Search doesn’t work”
“I can’t ever find what I need”
“The homepage is cluttered”
“I just keep what I need in my favourites”
It’s so old fashioned
“The structure doesn’t make any sense”
“It’s really annoying”
“It’s slow”
“I never know if I’ve got the right page”
“Loads of broken links”
“It’s out of date” “Too much text to read”
What they say

7. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow

8. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
Your little
intranet vs

9. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
Client Story

10. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
What was wrong… in a nutshell
• Intranet lacked structure
• Not much governance
• Minimal/no author training
• Lots of corporate waffle and far too
much text
• Some accessibility issues

11. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
Visually…
• Text was all the same grey, with little contrast
• Body text was small
• Headings had no breathing space
• Almost invisible hyperlinks… and inconsistent
hover behaviour
• Buttons were inconsistent
• Lots of banners and very little white space

12. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow

13. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
Planned a new structure
User Journeys
& Card Sorting

14. Planned a new structure
Author
Training

15. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
Planned a new structure
Intranet
Engagement
+10 to 20%

16. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
5 Takeaways

17. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
If your intranet feels tired...
Consider:
• Current trends in user interface design
in the outside world

18. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
If it’s hard to navigate...
Consider:
• breadcrumbs
• page titles
• too many choices in menus?
• hyperlink text

19. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
If users are frustrated...
Consider:
• Are you are giving them what they
need?
• Is it up front, on the rocks; no mixer, no
umbrella?

20. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
If users ask for quick-links
or are creating favourites…
Consider:
• Is your intranet structured right?

21. @andrewhesselden #IntranetNow
If issues keep reoccurring…
train your authors…
Consider:
• Usability
• How to write for the web
• Correct archiving processes etc

22. Andrew Hesselden
@andrewhesselden
andrew@coralfish.co.uk
www.coralfish.co.uk
Thank you