intranets

This two-day interactive workshop will provide a thorough overview and understanding about how to effectively use information architecture to make your intranet or website as effective as possible. It will cover a wide range of information architecture issues such as the following:

• What information architecture is and how it can facilitate user experience
• Analysing and sorting content
• Carrying out user research: surveys, focus groups and card sorting
• Classifying, sorting and labelling within your information system
• Using wireframes and site maps: the ‘bread and butter’ tools of IA
• Navigating, indexing and designing page layouts
• Effectively carrying out your IA project: tips, tools, techniques and processes

Many intranets are structured around the organisational chart. It is well known that this method of grouping content is difficult for staff – they can’t find information if they don’t know who is responsible for it. However, it often seems too difficult to move from an organisational- based structure to a more intuitive topical structure.

Before moving to a better structure it is necessary to identify why the intranet is currently designed around the organisational chart, and address these issues first.

Published by Step Two Designs: Why are intranets structured like the organisation chart?

This article outlines 10 practical ways that an intranet can be improved incrementally without yet another redesign. Although some of the methods may require mini-projects to be set up within the intranet team, many of the methods can be applied alongside the team’s usual maintenance activities.

Published by Step Two Designs: 10 ways to continually improve your intranet

This article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of ‘under construction’ signs on your intranet.Published by Step Two Designs: Is your intranet ‘under construction’