Fast forward a year, and we were thrilled to be invited back on-site to celebrate the intranet’s first anniversary. The day was packed with interactive workshops, expert advice, and a chance for the internal communications team to ask all their burning questions. And of course, no celebration is complete without cake!
A Day of Learning, Sharing, and Celebrating
Inspiring the Team with New Knowledge
Our UX lead, Kate Molloy, spent time reviewing a selection of SharePoint sites created across the university and provided valuable insights on how to enhance and refine them. We focused on:
- Exploring SharePoint web parts beyond the Hero web part to create a more balanced content hierarchy and improve navigation.
- Applying key design principles like whitespace, effective content grouping, and image optimisation, including tips for maintaining high-quality visuals across different web parts.
- Best practices to ensure content is engaging, accessible, and easy to navigate.
- Most excitingly, Kate recommended a Homepage Takeover to make a statement on the site for the Anniversary and how to style the page that wouldn’t take away from mandatory University news and messaging.
Advanced Design & Branding Workshop
After covering the basics, we ran an advanced design and branding workshop to help the team take their skills to the next level. Since the University of Leeds is using our SharePoint design tool, Beacon, we wanted to make sure they were getting the most out of it. We covered:
- Custom branding techniques, including advanced options like custom section shapes. We explored ‘colour stop gradients,’ a technique that creates the effect of content overlapping two sections, helping to improve visual flow.
- How to create sub-brands within Beacon and apply them to specific sites, helping different departments and initiatives maintain their own identity while staying aligned with university-wide branding.
- More advanced design features to move beyond basic intranet functionality and create visually compelling pages.
This session was particularly valuable for those who had ‘got to grips’ with SharePoint over the past year and were ready to elevate their design approach.
A Homepage Takeover Sneak Peak
What’s New & What’s Coming Soon
We also gave the internal comms team a sneak peek at new and upcoming SharePoint and Beacon features, including:
- New SharePoint out-of-the-box features, explaining their benefits and offering real-world use cases.
- Upcoming Beacon product updates, showcasing new tools and enhancements designed to improve site design and usability.
Q&A with Our Experts
One of the highlights of the day was hosting a drop-in session for Site Owners, giving them direct access to our experts. Tristan (Support Analyst) and Kate Molloy (User Experience Designer) were on hand to answer SharePoint and Beacon-related questions, offering tailored advice and practical solutions.
Attendees were able to:
- Ask more technical SharePoint and Beacon-related questions.
- Gain insights into best practices for for intranet design, permissions, and information architecture.
- Receive practical advice tailored to their specific needs and challenges.
Takeaway Resources & How-To Guides
To ensure the learning didn’t stop at the end of the day, we provided comprehensive ‘How-To’ guides. These resources allow the internal comms team to:
- Share their newfound knowledge with the wider community of Site Owners.
- Provide clear, practical guidance on best practices and effective intranet management.
- Ensure consistency and quality across all intranet sites within the university.
Recognising Success: The Intranet Awards
No celebration would be complete without recognition for those making the biggest impact! There were lots of awards, including Innovation, Impact and Community Awards.
And, of course, we wrapped up the day with a well-earned slice of cake!
Continuous Improvement for Long-Term Success
Having an ongoing relationship beyond the initial intranet launch is key to long-term success. By regularly upskilling staff and providing expert guidance, organisations like the University of Leeds can:
- Ensure their intranet remains relevant, engaging, and effective.
- Continually refine and improve the user experience.
- Empower internal teams to take ownership of their digital workspace.
A key part of the day was giving employees the opportunity to share their experiences with the intranet over the past year. We encouraged open feedback—what had worked well, what could be improved, and how we could continue to support them. While the overall response was positive, it’s also important to take onboard the feedback that wasn’t so positive. We identified areas for growth, giving us valuable insights into how we can refine and improve their experience moving forward.
Looking Ahead
We’re incredibly proud of what the University of Leeds has achieved with their intranet, and we’re excited to see how they continue to evolve and improve their digital workspace. Here’s to another year of success—and many more to come!
