UX/UI
Transforming Internal Communication: Intranet Case Study
OKsystem is provider of software solutions and IT services in Czech market. Working closely with the Product manager, UX designer and engineering, I redesigned firm's intranet platform.
My Role
I was responsible for researching the problem space, identifying problems and exploring solutions.
Goal
Intranet should be the heartbeat of company’s internal communication, our’s was more like a faint pulse. It was amusingly outdated, content was not particularly useful and updated rearly. Navigating the platform was difficult, search function doesn't work properly. Additionally, the intranet was not accessible from mobile devices, making it even more challenging for employees to stay connected on-the-go.
Before the redesign, despite working at OKsystem for about a year and a half, I visited intranet maybe 15 times at most.
Unfortunately, I can't share an image of an old intranet, but imagine a website from the early 2000s. The image above is the perfect representation of the look and feel of an old website.
What really matters: Focusing on top tasks
I started my exploration by analyzing what really matters to our employees, so together with stakeholders and engineers we can strategise a plan for the first release.
I partnered with UX Researcher to prepare a survey that identifies a prioritized list of tasks.
We aimed to allow HR to update content regularly, simplify navigation, improve search functionality, and ensure mobile accessibility.
Analyzing type of content to help understand IA structure for future web
We decided to first tackle the following scenarios:
As an HR manager, I want to easily share important news and updates with all employees on the company intranet, so that everyone stays informed and engaged with the latest developments within the organization.
As an employee, I want to access the latest news and updates on the company intranet, so that I can stay informed about important announcements, events, etc.
At this stage, I conducted a content audit, analyzing HR documentation, company newsletters, and emails from employees.
Content audit for a new intranet
First iteration was not successful
After discussions with HR team, we decided to split content into 2 different categories: "News" and "Noticeboard" (Nástěnka). When we tested this idea with employees, we found a problem. People were confused and couldn't tell the difference between them. It wasn't clear where to look for what.
I'm actually a bit confused because terms like 'home,' 'bulletin board,' and 'newsletter' suggest they could be instructions or information from the personnel department.
I'm unsure about the distinction between a bulletin board and a newsletter.
I perceive a newsletter as updates, perhaps about events happening in a specific month.
On the bulletin board, I would expect to find instructions, procedures, or information about where to find certain things.
In final design noticeboard as a section was removed, homepage contained all news. Important messages moved to alert banner, or pinned at the top in a news feed.
Results
Administration platform boost content creation by 60%
The introduction of an administration platform empowered the HR team with the ability to easily add and edit content on the intranet.
Forum section enhanced engagement
A new forum section was introduced, fostering a space for internal communication where employees could actively engage with each other.
Increased login number on both desktop and mobile devices
Post-launch, we observed a significant increase in login numbers from both desktop and mobile devices. The enhanced mobile accessibility further contributed to this success, allowing employees to stay connected and informed regardless of their location.