This document discusses different options for structuring an intranet site. It begins by explaining the goals of intranet design including easy navigation, searchability, and content management. It then presents 4 options for structuring the site: 1) By strategic pillars with departments organized underneath each pillar. 2) By organizational structure with departments as top-level sections. 3) A hybrid model with pillars as top headers and departments structured underneath. 4) Allowing different views like pillars or the organizational chart as headers. It evaluates each option based on navigation, content management, adherence to policies, and supporting engagement. The best structure would logically organize content, be intuitive to navigate, and easily manage content

1. Innovate Vancouver

2. Priorities and Goals when Designing
the Site Structure

3. Navigation
Structured
File Management
Site
Structure
Design
Parameters
Emphasizing Navigation, File Management,
and Searchability
The goal is intranet design is easy to navigate,
search, and manage content. The structure of
the site promotes engagement and use. The
structure of the site is also designed to help
support file management, focus, and
collaboration.
Sites that are designed poorly can make it
harder to do these things. It can be cumbersome
to locate a page, product, list, document, or
other information. Poor design can promote
sprawl, and low adoption rates of the site. The
same problems the organization faced prior to
building the site still remain.
Yet the goal is not isolated to function. The site
should also be elegant if not considered
beautiful, easy to use, and support best
practices around workflow, integration, and
performance. In short, an intranet site should be
designed to support and integrate all of the
values and capabilities depicted in the graphic
to the right.
Optics
Focused
Intuitive
Accessibility
Search

5. A Brief Explanation of
Information Architecture (IA)

6. Information
Architecture:
A System's
Approach to
Effectively
Managing Content
Organization & Structure
Naming Conventions & Labels
Navigation Systems & Tools
Search Systems & Filters
Effective document and content
management requires a system's
approach. This is because no single
setting or module is enough to insure
documents are easy to locate, the
single source of truth, or follow
company standards for branding,
structure, and formatting.
Information Architecture supports
accessibility, navigation, and ease of
use by emphasizing the Website's:
1.
2.
3.
4.
01
03
Metadata
05
02
04
Policies
Settings Governance
Site
Structure
Title and description,
Tags and categories,
Who created and when,
Who last modified and
when,
Who can access or update.
Metadata is simply data about
data. It means it is a
description and context of the
data. It helps to organize, find
and understand data.
Those are some typical
metadata elements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Website governance is an
organization's structure of staff
and the technical systems, policies
and procedures to maintain and
manage a website. Website
governance applies to both
Internet and Intranet sites.
Data Management Policy
Document Management
Standards
Document Quality
Procedure
Policies help establish
best practices and
parameters for how
technology should be used.
Examples Include:
1.
2.
3.
A well-planned structure is what turns a messy set of webpages
into a site loved by users and search engines. For both, it’s crucial
to get a clear idea of how your website is organized and how to
find relevant information on it. Website structure is the way all a
website’s pages are organized and connected to each other and
how navigation to different pages is managed.
Permissions
User Groups, etc.
These help reinforce
policies, governance, and
how the website is used:
Examples include:
1.
2.
Source:
Information Architecture Basics | Usability.gov

7. Option 1:
Structured by the Strategic Pillars

8. SHAREPOINT HIERARCHY:
STRATEGIC PILLARS
PILLAR 1
DEPARTMENTS
Maintenance
Human Resources
Health & Safety
Environment
Information Technology
Engineering
Communications
Finance
PILLAR 2 PILLAR 3 PILLAR 4
In Option 1 the Strategic Pillars
structure the entire website from
Department Sites to how
documentation is stored, managed,
and permission settings.
Strategic Pillar structure will also
include subordinate Department sites
under the header (dropdown menu,
etc.).
The structure of the site influences
how documentation and content is
stored, managed, and accessed.
Documents, for example, will be
stored based on the pillar under
which it is located.
Settings will be begin at the Pillar level
instead of the department and will
influence who can see and has access
to what areas and content.
OPTION #1
Input from Invero, the IT Department, and the Executive will be needed to assign each department
to an individual pillar. Consultation will also be needed to evaluate this structure's impact on
organizational workflow, site permissions (AAD), and the document managemen tframework.

9. User Experience: Navigating Site Structure
Structured by the Strategic Pillars
Enter Intranet
1
I am having difficulty finding
my department, group, or
project.
2
I explore the different tabs
until I am able to find my
department, etc. I visit that
page/ site.
3
I create a file. I save it in the
department repository. I can
access the file through the
department page or through
an full intranet search.
4
Documents and
communications are stored
in non-similar groups, with
permissions, restrictions,
metadata, and search
parameters that may not
align with what I expect.
5

10. Option 2:
Structured by the Organizational
Structure

11. SHAREPOINT HIERARCHY:
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
DEPARTMENT 1
DEPARTMENTS
Teams Sites
SharePoint Sites
Libraries
Teams Channels
A
B
C
D
DEPARTMENT 2 DEPARTMENT 3 DEPARTMENT 4
In Option 2 the
Organizational &
Department structure
the entire website
from Department Sites
to how documentation
is stored, managed,
and permission
settings.
Department Site
structure may not
include all
departments on the
header of the website
due to space
constraints.
Remaining
departments will be
listed on columns and
subordinate pages.
OPTION #2
This structure is consistent with how the website and SharePoint sites are currently structured. The
difference between the present state and future state if strengthened navigation, integration, workflows, and
permission settings. The question is how this structure will support the organization's vision to break down
silos and strengthen enterprise integration, communication, and collaboration?

12. Enter Intranet
1
Easily Discover where my
Department or Project is
Located
2
Visit Department, Group, or
Project Page. Everything here
is related to the location I am
visiting.
3
I create a file. I save it in the
department repository. I can
access the file through the
department page or through
an full intranet search.
4
Documents and
communications are stored
in similar groups, with
shared permissions,
restrictions, metadata, and
search parameters.
5
User Experience: Navigating Site Structure
Structured by Department/ Organizational
Structure

13. Option 3:
Hybrid?

14. STRATEGIC
PILLARS
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURE
But w
hat if w
e can
have both?
Filtered Views on the header: Strategic Pillars vs.
Organizational Chart?
Can each department be mapped logically to only one
strategic pillar?
What is the impact of a pillar driven structure (headers) on
navigation, content management, and ease of use?
Pillar
as
the
Heeader
with
Department
Structure
as
Subordinate
Pages?
Option
4:
Do
Headers
permit
creating
different
'views'?

15. SHAREPOINT HIERARCHY:
HYBRID
(PILLAR X DEPARTMENT)
PILLAR 1
DEPARTMENTS
Site Cluster A
Site Cluster B
Site Cluster C
Site Cluster D
Site Cluster E
Site Custer F
Site Cluster G
Site Cluster H
PILLAR 2 PILLAR 3 PILLAR 4
In Option 3 the Pillars are
listed on the header but the
Organizational &
Department structure the
sections of the website
underneath the header to
include the Department
Sites and how
documentation is stored,
managed, and permission
settings.
The Pillar heading is largely
provided to support optics
and organizational
storytelling.
The department Hub sets
the structure for how
subordinate content and
documents are stored and
what permissions exist to
access them.
OPTION #3
Another option is to use the #2 Organizational Structure for the site hierarchy and headers, and build out
the Intranet Landing Page with callouts, graphics, and content to support the visibility and engagement of
the Strategic Pillars.

16. Enter Intranet
1
Easily Discover where my
Department or Project is
Located. Will require learning
how the departments are
allocated under the pillar
based system. May not be
obvious.
2
Now that the site has been
located: Visit Department,
Group, or Project Page.
Everything here is related to
the location I am visiting.
3
I create a file. I save it in the
department repository. I can
access the file through the
department page or through
an full intranet search.
4
Documents and
communications are stored
in similar groups, with
shared permissions,
restrictions, metadata, and
search parameters.
5
User Experience: Navigating Site Structure
Structured by Strategic Pillars &
Department

17. Evaluating Options

18. Design decisions need
to be made regarding
site type, user
characteristics,
content, navigational
elements, and
interactie elements

19. The structure and layout of the
site is intuitive and logical
It is easy to identify where
content is located
Moving from the Intranet Page,
to Hub Sites, to Project Pages,
Team Sites, and Libraries is easy
to navigate
Site structure and ease of
navigation supports document
collaboration & access, team
chats and video meetings, as
well as knowledge sharing and
distribution
Navigation
The structure of the site
supports document and
content management best
practices & adherence to
company policies
Deploying new sites and
pages does not require
special configuration or
modification to map to non
traditional structures
Site Structure supports self
service and user self
management of owned
pages
Manage
Easy to
Access &
Navigate
Easy to
Manage &
Monitor
Supports
Engagement
& Use

20. Contact Innovate Vancouver for
more Invormation!