Overview

IBM’s intranet had evolved over many years without a unified structure, resulting in poor usability, outdated layouts, and inconsistent experiences across departments. Employees struggled to find essential documents, missed important announcements, and often relied on manual workarounds to complete routine tasks. These inefficiencies created communication gaps and reduced overall productivity.

Challenges Identified

• Confusing navigation with an unclear page hierarchy

• Outdated UI that did not scale well across devices

• Redundant or outdated content across departments

• No centralized hub for company-wide announcements

• Low employee engagement due to a frustrating user experience

Approach

To fully understand user needs, we conducted stakeholder interviews, cross-departmental surveys, and a comprehensive heuristic evaluation of the existing intranet. We mapped common workflows, identified key pain points, and developed user personas and journey flows.

Using iterative wireframes and prototypes, we explored multiple navigation models and validated them through card-sorting exercises and moderated usability testing. Each iteration incorporated direct employee feedback to ensure clarity, efficiency, and alignment with real usage patterns.

Solution

The redesigned intranet introduced a modern, responsive design system supported by a clear information architecture and consistent visual patterns. Key improvements included:

• Streamlined navigation with fewer steps to access critical resources

• A centralized communications hub for company announcements and leadership updates

• Enhanced search and filtering tools for faster document retrieval

• Standardized page templates for departments to maintain consistent structure

• Improved visual hierarchy through updated typography, spacing, and layout

Outcome

The intranet redesign significantly improved workplace efficiency and employee satisfaction. Employees reported easier access to information, smoother collaboration, and greater engagement with company content.

The project was recognized for its impact and usability, earning the Nielsen Norman Group Intranet Design Award in 2017, placing IBM among the year’s 10 best intranets worldwide.

My Role

User Experience Design

Wireframing & Prototyping

Visual & Responsive Design

Content Strategy

w3 Intranet: yourIBM final product design