A Connected Campus with a Modern SharePoint Intranet

The University of Leeds managed a complex digital workplace — over 650 sites, with content spread across multiple platforms.

Only 24% of employees said they could easily find the information needed to do their job – a clear sign that change was needed.

The ambition was to create a single, people-first intranet to connect 9,000+ staff and 39,000 students, supporting the University’s ‘Universal Values, Global Change’ strategy.

We began by listening.

Through staff surveys (145 participants) and workshops with over 200 site owners and editors, we gathered valuable insights and ideas.

We ran multiple in-person and virtual sessions, involving those already managing content to build a network of contributors and champions.

This collaborative, co-design approach ensured the new intranet would be shaped by those who use it every day. Making it truly “their intranet, not just another IT project.”

With feedback and data in hand, we developed a clear business case for a modern, consolidated platform. Leadership support was secured, and priorities were set: make information easy to find, streamline communication, and energise staff around shared goals.

Working closely with University stakeholders, we delivered the new intranet in just three months. The platform was tailored using SharePoint Online, Beacon, and Customised Links & Tools, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience for all users.

The new ‘For Staff’ intranet launched, bringing together news, tools, and resources in one secure hub for 9,000 employees. Training sessions, workshops, and a dedicated Viva Engage community empowered staff and content owners to make the most of the new platform.

“For the first time, staff have a dedicated channel of news and information—a transformative shift in how people stay informed.”

— Chris Hewitt, Head of Internal Communications

We published a detailed case study and have jointly presented the story at industry forums.

View the Case Study

Post-launch, Silicon Reef provides ongoing support: in-person workshops, a collaborative blog series with the Leeds comms team, and joint webinars to share lessons learned.

After go-live, we conducted in-person workshops and training sessions with various departments to drive adoption and gather feedback. In the first month, our team held 20+ demo sessions across different faculty teams focusing on how to personalise news and use new features. This hands-on enablement helped staff quickly embrace the new intranet and make it part of their routine.

We helped the Internal Comms team establish a Digital Champions network.

These are staff volunteers from across the university who meet regularly (virtually) to share how they’re using the intranet, discuss new ideas, and flag any issues. The Viva Engage community created during the project became a thriving forum that continued post-launch.

In April 2025, Chris Hewitt authored an article on our blog titled ‘5 Lessons from the University of Leeds’ Intranet Transformation’.

The article shares key challenges and success factors (like adopting SharePoint and early stakeholder engagement) while celebrating Leeds’ achievement and offering practical guidance. This collaboration highlighted the University’s thought leadership and strengthened our partnership.

Explore More Here

Working with the University’s Internal Communications and IT teams, we extended SharePoint’s standard news experience to give employees greater control over the content they see, while ensuring important University-wide communications remain visible.

Personalised feeds, topic-based following, Headline News and clearer editorial governance brought local, specialist and organisation-wide communications together within the University’s existing Microsoft 365 environment.

Early results showed an average 20% increase in engagement with news content, while newsletter production time reduced by approximately four hours each week.

Employees can more easily discover stories relevant to their interests, while Internal Communications has greater oversight of priority messages across the University.

Explore the full Personalised SharePoint News case study.