We all know intranet design is important, but how can design influence intranet engagement? From colour to navigation the perfect intranet maybe achieved through considered design. Our 2016 SORCE user conference brainstormed ideas and here is a summary of their thoughts. You can download our expanded guide on how to manage your intranet covering design, functionality, ownership and lots more.
5 Ways in which design influences intranet engagement:
1) Great intranet design complements the corporate brand
We are all creatures of habit and presenting an intranet that is obviously linked to the wider corporate organisation is instantly going to feel more welcoming than one that looks like a stranger.
2) User friendly designs make it easier for users to engage and adopt your intranet
Designing an intranet that adopts all of the practices for being as user friendly as possible is a great way to support ongoing engagement. Making sure the content layout and navigation follow design principles is really important for an effective intranet.
3) Make sure your colour pallet is accessible by everyone
Not everyone has perfect vision. Conditions such as colour blindness should be taken into account and contrasting text and background colours used for readability. Did you know in Britain 2.7m people are colour blind, thats about 4.5% of the entire population?
4) Design consistency is essential for easy navigation
If the user is presented with different designs within the intranet, their navigation and speed to access information will be slow as they need to stop and think.
5) Analytics are key to optimising your intranet design.
Good design is informed by site performance. Knowledge of the most viewed content, pages accessed and content consumed can help guide you in optimising your page design and highlight future intranet develeopments.
For more ideas on how you can build the perfect intranet download our managing your intranet guide.