Intranet Design Annual 2009: The Year’s Ten Best Intranets

Intranet Design Annual 2009: The Year’s Ten Best Intranets

Released February 2010
Publisher(s): New Riders
ISBN: 9780132107495

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Book description

This report from the Nielsen Norman Group reviews the designs and usability of ten intranets that were chosen from a much larger number of nominated designs. The report is richly illustrated with 241 full-color screenshots, giving readers the unique opportunity to see good intranet designs that are usually hidden behind a firewall. These intranets represent big companies with large amounts of documents and mission-critical applications such as sales force support. But most of the lessons from these winning designs apply to smaller companies as well.

The bulk of the report consists of detailed case studies of each of the ten winning intranet designs, including discussions of the main problems they faced, how these problems were overcome in the redesign process, and how the new design compared with the previous design.

Table of contents

  1. Intranet Design Annual 2009
    1. Executive Summary
        1. Bigger Intranet Budgets
        2. Strategic Intranets
        3. Collaboration Features
        4. Personalization and Customization
        5. Technology Platform: Unificaton Begins
        6. Usability Growth
    2. Overview of the Winners
        1. Six Countries
        2. Six Industries
        3. Large and Small Winning Organizations
        4. Larger Teams (Though Still Relatively Small, Given the Work They Do)
        5. In-House and Outside Teams Working Harmoniously
    3. Common Themes Among the Winners
        1. Web 2.0: Community and Social
          1. Traits of a Good CEO or Management Blog
          2. User Interface Elements for Lists
            1. How the intranets got started
        2. Teams and Leaders
        3. Personalization
        4. New Employees
    4. Altran
        1. Summary
          1. Homepage Features
          2. Picture of the Day
          3. User Research
        2. Background
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Governance
          2. Outsourcing the Design
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Constraints
        5. Timeline
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
          1. Planning for the Future
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Monitoring Changes
          2. Tracking Monthly Indicators
          3. Focusing on Fundamentals
            1. User Satisfaction Surveys
            2. User Testing of New Design Prototypes
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
          1. Design Tools
          2. Tools for Building
          3. System Information
          4. Bug Tracking/QA Software
        11. Search
          1. Search Technology
        12. Content Management
          1. Adding a New Content Type
          2. Enforcing Standards
          3. Design Standards
        13. Mobile
        14. Features
          1. Collaboration Tools
          2. Knowledge Management
        15. Lessons Learned
          1. Olivier Siganos, program manager
          2. Hervé Audouin, electronic content specialist
        16. Results / ROI
    5. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
        1. Summary
          1. Sharing Ideas
          2. Employee Profile Pages
          3. Productivity Enhancements
        2. Background
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Governance
          2. Working with Agencies
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Resources
        5. Timeline
          1. Key Project Milestones
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Surveying Users
          2. Developing a Design Approach
          3. Testing the Prototypes
          4. Testing New vs. Old
          5. Listening to Feedback
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Search
          1. Tracking and Growing Search
          2. Using the Results
        12. Content Management
        13. Features
          1. Team favorites
          2. Mission critical tasks
          3. Features that add the most value to the organization
          4. Collaboration Tools
            1. Closed Collaboration
            2. Open Collaboration
          5. Knowledge Management
        14. Lessons Learned
          1. Andrea Werzner, program manager
          2. Robert Nellis, senior consultant, Catapult Systems
        15. Results / ROI
          1. Other results include
    6. BASF SE
        1. Summary
        2. Background
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Team
          2. Governance
          3. Working with Agencies
        4. Goals
        5. Timeline
          1. 2006: New intranet (structure and design definition)
          2. October 2006: Approval for group-wide rollout of intranet portal concept
          3. April 2007: Official technical project approval
          4. June 2008: Technical implementations and IT optimizations complete
          5. August 2008: Final intranet testing phase complete
          6. September 18, 2008: Go-live and global rollout of BASF.net
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Goals of the Redesign
            1. User Survey
            2. User Interviews
          2. Usability Methods
            1. Heuristic evaluation
            2. Card sorting
            3. Paper prototyping
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Mobile
        12. Search
        13. Content Management
          1. The Content Lifecycle
          2. Style Guide
          3. Content Editors
        14. Features
          1. Welcome screen
          2. Customizable news boxes
          3. Administration of personal bookmark list
          4. Keyword index using tag cloud and incremental search
          5. Guided tour
          6. Subscription for Online Reporter messages
          7. Color picker
          8. Collaboration Tools
        15. Lessons Learned
        16. Results/ROI
          1. Management Wins
    7. COWI Group A/S
        1. Summary
          1. Homepage
          2. News and Writing
          3. Information about Groups
          4. Finding People
        2. Background
          1. A Vision for the Portal
          2. Governance
          3. Staffing
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Staffing over Time
          2. Working with Agencies
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Strategic Goals
          2. Constraints
        5. Timeline
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
          1. Meeting Organizational Goals
          2. User tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Listening to the Users: Monitoring Current Practices
          2. Designing for Users: Personas
          3. Testing Prototypes
          4. Making Changes
          5. Users Will Create Work-Arounds
          6. Users Reject Intermediary Pages
          7. Changing the Template
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Search
        12. Content Management
          1. Using Templates
        13. Mobile
          1. Mobile
        14. Features
          1. Basic features
          2. Collaboration Tools
            1. Collaboration Functionality
          3. Knowledge Management
          4. Data Visualization
        15. Lessons Learned
          1. Jan Johansen, chief project manager
        16. Results / ROI
    8. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT)
        1. Summary
        2. Background
          1. Global Intranet
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Governance
          2. Managing Brand
          3. Staffing Over Time
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Overall Goals
          2. Putting Users First: Telling Good Stories
          3. Going Green
          4. Facilitating Collaboration
          5. The Challenges of Local Autonomy
          6. English as the Official Language
        5. Timeline
          1. Inception
          2. Initial Training and Launch
          3. Key Enhancements
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
          1. Top 10 Most-Visited Pages
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Homepage Redesign
          2. Making Changes
          3. Measuring Success
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Search
        12. Content Management
        13. Features
          1. Global Learning homepage
          2. Young Partner Advisory Council (YPAC) homepage
          3. Annual World Meeting page
          4. Interactive calendars
          5. Collaboration Tools
          6. Knowledge Management
          7. Data Visualization
        14. Lessons Learned
          1. Tracey Edwards, DTT shared services and chief knowledge officer
          2. Jan Schaefer, director, DTT Communications
          3. Rachel Flanagan, DR editorial manager
          4. Karen Frankola, director, internal communications and creative services
        15. Results / ROI
          1. High-Level Support Means Big Wins
          2. Adding Value
          3. Metrics
    9. Environmental Resources Management (ERM)
        1. Summary
        2. Background
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Governance
          2. The Evolution of a Platform
          3. External Resources
          4. Budget
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Enabling Employees to Think for Themselves
          2. Constraints
        5. Timeline
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Overview
          2. Pilot Phase Surveys
          3. User Interviews: Collecting Thousands of Narratives
          4. Evolving the Homepage
          5. Results that Surprised the Team
          6. Actionable Results
          7. Continuous Feedback/Ongoing Improvement
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
          1. Platform
          2. Hardware and Hosting
        11. Search
          1. People Search
        12. Content Management
          1. Using Content Types
          2. Content Expiration
          3. Distributed Ownership
          4. Working with Templates
        13. Mobile
        14. Features
          1. Features that Increase Visibility
          2. Collaboration Features
          3. Global Information Features
          4. Features to Support Mission-Critical Tasks
          5. Support Features
          6. Supporting New Hires
          7. Minerva in Action
            1. Collaboration
            2. Knowledge Management
            3. Data Visualization
        15. Lessons Learned
          1. Bonnie Cheuk, global head of information and knowledge
        16. Results / ROI
          1. Real World Results
            1. Leveraging ERM’s Global Green Building Knowledge
              1. Graham Lane, OpCo head, Japan
            2. Delivering the best solution for our clients using our global network
              1. Steve Chang, partner, Taiwan
            3. Giving our best expertise and knowledge to our clients
              1. Marco Gallego and Paula Gonzalez, Spain and Portugal (Aug. 2007)
            4. Leadership 2.0
            5. Cheuk shares some of the highlights of the leadership workshop
              1. Be prepared for the consequences
              2. Embrace Web 2.0
              3. Be prepared for the challenges
              4. Be prepared for challenging dialogue
              5. Accept the “inconveniences.”
          2. Proven Success
    10. HSBC Bank Brazil
        1. Summary
        2. Communication
          1. Mission Critical Information
        3. Background
        4. Intranet Team
          1. Using Agencies
        5. Timeline
        6. Goals and Constraints
        7. Users
        8. User Tasks
        9. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Diagnostic Phase
          2. Phase I: Planning & Design
          3. Phase II: Implementation
          4. Findings
        10. URL and Access
        11. Technology
        12. Search
        13. Content Management
        14. Mobile
        15. Features
          1. Collaboration Tools
            1. Communities
        16. Results / ROI
    11. Kaupthing Bank
        1. Summary
        2. Background
          1. Global Intranet 1.0
          2. Global Intranet 2.0
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Working with Agencies
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Goals
          2. Constraints
          3. Security
        5. Timeline
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. User Response
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Search
        12. Content Management
          1. CMS Technology
          2. Customizing the CMS Functionality
          3. Content Ownership
          4. Global Templates
          5. Local Intranets
        13. Mobile
        14. Features
          1. Intranet directory
          2. My Site and personalization
          3. The Other Side (of employees) and an opinion poll
          4. Photos from Employees and employee blogs
          5. Event and holiday calendar
          6. Local time and weather
          7. Sub-page user options
          8. Local intranet link and news box
          9. Marketing material archive
        15. Lessons Learned
        16. Results / ROI
          1. Building an Umbrella
          2. Bridging Geographic Divides
          3. Measureable Improvements
    12. L.L.Bean
        1. Summary
        2. Background
          1. Finding Inspiration
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Budget
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. Constraints
            1. Everything is Hand-Coded
            2. No Usability Tools
        5. Timeline
        6. Users
          1. Operational
          2. Non-Operational
        7. User Tasks
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Usability Methods
          2. Card Sorting: Learning the Vernacular
          3. Categorization
          4. Usability Studies at the User’s Site: Words Matter
          5. Paper Prototype
          6. Content Development
          7. Writing Content Takes Longer Than You Think
          8. Wireframes: Testing Content
          9. Launching with a Scavenger Hunt
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
        11. Search
          1. Sample Search Results Screens
        12. Features
        13. Lessons Learned
          1. Linda Carew, project manager
          2. Laurie Gonyea, intranet designer
          3. John Vincent, intranet administrator
          4. Melissa Coleman, intranet designer
          5. Leah Fitch, lead intranet designer
        14. Results / ROI
          1. Post Mortem User Testing
            1. User Comments
    13. McKesson Corporation
        1. Summary
        2. Background
          1. In the Beginning
          2. Starting Over
          3. Developing a Strategic Vision
          4. Supporting Business Objectives
            1. Project Benefits
            2. Risks of Inaction
            3. Critical Success Factors
          5. From Idea to Execution
            1. 2005
            2. 2006
            3. 2007
            4. 2008
          6. Technology Evolution
        3. Intranet Team
          1. Managing the Portal
          2. Managing Sub-Portals
          3. Governance
          4. Broad Representation
          5. Supporting the Project with Budget and Staff
          6. Augmenting the Internal Team: Partnering with an Agency
          7. Ongoing Agency Support
        4. Goals and Constraints
          1. The Ultimate Goal
          2. Constraints
        5. Timeline
          1. HR portal
          2. Employee Portal
            1. Release 1: May 2007 (10 months to complete)
            2. Release 2: March 2008 (12 months to complete)
            3. Release 3, scheduled for March 2009
          3. MPT Sales Portal
          4. Technology Timeline
            1. November–December 2007
            2. January 2008
        6. Users
        7. User Tasks
          1. Employee Portal
          2. MPT Sales Portal
        8. Design Process and Usability Activities
          1. Overview
          2. Usability Activities
            1. Employee Portal
            2. HR Portal
            3. MPT Sales Portal
        9. URL and Access
        10. Technology
          1. Web Site Analysis and Search
            1. Site Metrics Report Highlights
              1. July 2008
            2. Search Technology
        11. Content Management
          1. Technology
          2. Content Ownership
          3. Creating Content
        12. Mobile
        13. Features
          1. Collaboration Tools
            1. Web 2.0 Features
          2. Creating a Sense of Community Online
        14. Lessons Learned
        15. Results/ROI
          1. Measuring User Satisfaction
          2. Communication Wins
          3. Management Wins
    14. Recommendations for the Intranet Design Process
        1. Watch People Work
        2. Conduct Usability Evaluations
        3. Personalize After You Create the Infrastructure
        4. Help Content Contributors Succeed
        5. Consider Accessibility
        6. Measure ROI
    15. Intranets Not Selected: Common Issues
        1. Poor Information Architecture
        2. Search Issues
        3. Overuse of Unimaginative Images
        4. Inappropiate Branding
        5. New Windows
    16. Selection Criteria and Process
        1. Initial Design Reviews and Numeric Rankings
          1. Navigation
          2. Design
          3. Search
          4. Personalization and News Delivery
          5. Content
          6. Overall
        2. Follow-Up Questions with Top Tier (When Necessary)
        3. Design Sorting and Thorough Design Review
        4. Follow-Up Interviews with Top 10
    17. About the Authors
    18. Acknowledgements
    19. Submit Your Intranet for the 2010 Design Annual
        1. About Nielsen Norman Group
          1. Consulting
          2. Conference
          3. Training
          4. Prices
          5. Newsletter
        2. Reports by Nielsen Norman Group
          1. Web Usability
          2. Intranet Usability
          3. E-Mail Usability
          4. Application Usability
          5. Special User Segments
          6. User-Centered Design Methodology
          7. Other
          8. Interested in a Custom Report?
    20. The Usability Week 2009 Conference
        1. 3-Day Intensive Camp
          1. Fast and Cheap Usability
        2. 3-Day Immersion
          1. Interaction Design 101 with Bruce “Tog” Tognazzini
        3. Specialized Full-Day Tutorials
          1. Fundamental Guidelines for Web Usability
          2. Application Usability 1: Page-Level Building Blocks for Feature Design
          3. Application Usability 2: Dialogue and Workflow Design
          4. Intranet Usability 1
          5. Intranet Usability 2
          6. Information Architecture 1
          7. Information Architecture 2
          8. Websites That Sell: The Role of Motivational Psychology in Website Design
          9. Writing for the Web 1
          10. Writing for the Web 2
          11. Mobile Usability
          12. Research Update 2009

Product information

  • Title: Intranet Design Annual 2009: The Year’s Ten Best Intranets
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: February 2010
  • Publisher(s): New Riders
  • ISBN: 9780132107495