4 Strategies for Building an Intuitive Intranet Structure

Outdated Content:

Over time, intranets accumulate irrelevant or redundant content, reducing efficiency.

Silos of Information:

Knowledge remains compartmentalized, limiting cross-departmental collaboration.

Complex Navigation:

Layers of subcategories make finding information cumbersome.

Diverse User Needs:

Employees from different roles or locations have unique expectations, demanding tailored solutions.

Simplify Navigation

Key Principle: Prioritize clarity and accessibility.

Why it matters: Overly complex navigation with too many layers discourages usage.

Solution: Design a flat structure with broad categories instead of deep hierarchies. For instance, group tools and content by function rather than department.

Focus on User Needs

Key Principle: Create personas to guide content organization.

Why it matters: Employees access intranets differently based on their roles and responsibilities.

Solution: Use surveys or feedback to identify common use cases and align the structure with actual workflows. Tailor content by user roles, such as HR, IT, or field teams, for enhanced relevance.

Break Down Silos

Key Principle: Encourage cross-functional knowledge sharing.

Why it matters: Isolated knowledge repositories limit collaboration and innovation.

Solution: Centralize information into shared spaces where employees can easily find tools, resources, and insights without navigating departmental barriers.

Iterate Based on Feedback

Key Principle: Treat the intranet as a living entity.

Why it matters: Organizational needs evolve, and so should the intranet.

Solution: Regularly collect employee feedback and monitor usage analytics. Identify pain points, optimize popular features, and remove outdated sections for continuous improvement.