Modern SharePoint is a significant evolution of the traditional SharePoint experience, SharePoint Classic. It offers a more contemporary, user-friendly interface designed for today’s mobile and cloud-based work environment. It’s not just a cosmetic makeover; it’s a fundamental shift in how we collaborate and share information. Unlike Classic SharePoint, which was often criticised for its complex and dated interface, Modern SharePoint provides a streamlined, intuitive user experience that simplifies collaboration and content management.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is Modern SharePoint?
Modern SharePoint is a user experience designed from the ground up to work seamlessly across devices, including mobile phones and tablets. It’s currently available only in SharePoint Online (part of Microsoft 365), where it replaces the older, clunkier interface. Think of it as SharePoint’s cool younger sibling – sleek, responsive, and ready for the modern workplace.
Benefits of Modern SharePoint vs. Classic SharePoint
User-Friendly Interface: Modern SharePoint pages are cleaner, more intuitive, and easier to navigate. No more wrestling with arcane customisation techniques!
Mobile-First Design: Whether you’re on a desktop or a tiny phone screen, modern sites adapt beautifully. No more sideways scrolling or pinching to zoom.
Advanced Features: Modern lists and libraries offer improved filtering, bulk editing, and better integration with other Microsoft 365 tools.
Responsive Web Parts: You can easily add web parts like news, events, and documents to your pages without writing code.
Security and Compliance: Modern SharePoint aligns with Microsoft’s latest security standards, keeping your data safe.
Modern SharePoint has a series of key features that can be used to create intranet solutions fit for the modern workplace, including:
Modern Sites: These are the building blocks of the Modern SharePoint experience, providing a foundation for creating engaging and dynamic intranet pages that are both mobile-ready and accessible.
Communication Sites: Designed for broadcasting news, reports, and updates to a wider audience within the organisation, these sites support rich multimedia content and are easy to create without the need for specialised IT skills.
Hub Sites: Hub sites bring together related sites and content, making it easier to organise and discover information. They offer shared navigation, look and feel, and search capabilities across associated sites.
Modern Lists and Libraries: Enhanced with improved user interfaces, these lists and libraries support quick editing, filtering, and sorting of content, along with bulk document management actions.
Power Automate Integration: Modern SharePoint integrates with Power Automate, enabling users to create automated workflows that streamline business processes and reduce manual tasks.
Personalisation: Features like audience targeting and personalised news feeds ensure that employees see content that is most relevant to them, improving engagement and user experience.
Modern SharePoint is a powerful platform for building modern intranets that support efficient collaboration, content management, and communication within an organisation. Its user-centric design, coupled with robust features and integration with Microsoft 365, makes it an essential tool for businesses looking to enhance their digital workplace. Modern SharePoint is not just an upgrade from Classic SharePoint; it’s a complete reimagining of what an intranet can be in the modern business landscape.
