Intranet design in need of a refresh? Are information-overloaded and text-heavy homepages decreasing your employee engagement? Looking for intranet design examples that showcase how you can get the most out of your intranet?
Design possesses the power to capture users' attention and spark engagement. However, it can be one of the biggest challenges to overcome when developing your company's intranet.
A well-executed intranet design can mean the difference between a successful, business-critical tool that employees want to use every day and a confusing, non-functional intranet that struggles to gain adoption.
So, where do you start? Thankfully, we know what a good intranet looks like. Some of the world's biggest brands use Oak's intranets every day to engage their employees.
Good intranet design doesn't have to require extensive technical expertise.
Through Oak's intuitive drag-and-drop design functionality and expert advice from our in-house teams, customers can create engaging, branded intranets that suit their organisation.
We know that perfecting the look and feel of your intranet plays a huge role in your internal communication strategy. We also know that not everyone has a technical design expert at their disposal.
That's why we've put together a practical guide to intranet design, from the role of your intranet and the importance of its homepage to essential features and examples that can inspire your own design.
The role of your intranet
Before looking at your intranet's design, it's important to consider what purpose your company intranet will serve and what its role within your organisation will be.
Intranets are designed to connect employees and provide them with relevant information through an engagement platform.
Intranet software itself has changed beyond recognition over the past 20 years, driven by changes in the workplace, employee expectations and technology.
The workplace has modernised
Organisations now support employees working across offices, homes, different locations and frontline environments.
Employee expectations have changed
Employees expect more information, transparency and better communication mechanisms within their organisations.
Technology has advanced
Modern platforms offer richer content, personalisation, mobile access and more ways to communicate and collaborate.
These changes mean that the role of the intranet in day-to-day business has shifted dramatically.
There is a greater need for excellent intranet design. When employees want to use their intranet, they're more likely to be engaged, productive and able to collaborate effectively.
The impact of a poor intranet design
Your intranet design can make or break how employees engage with your company, so improving it is more than worth your time.
Poor design doesn't just affect how an intranet looks. It can make everyday activities more difficult, prevent employees from finding relevant information and reduce overall adoption.
| Design problem | Impact on employees | What to improve |
|---|---|---|
| Poor visual layout | Employees may disengage when content appears cluttered or difficult to navigate. | Introduce clear sections, spacing and visual hierarchy. |
| Illegible text | Employees struggle to read and understand important information. | Prioritise readable typography, contrast and accessible layouts. |
| Poor navigation | Employees spend longer trying to locate resources, affecting productivity. | Use intuitive menus, clear labels and prominent quick links. |
| Poor search results | Employees cannot easily find documents, policies or relevant content. | Improve search accessibility, content organisation and relevance. |
Research cited by Origami, based on 322 recorded user sessions, suggested that only around 15% of employees used their intranet's search box to find information.
Another survey referenced in intranet design research found that 22% of respondents attributed intranet failure to outdated content.
Don't let your intranet homepage become a dumping ground for content.
Intranet owners need to keep information curated, relevant and easy to navigate. A strong user experience helps employees find what they need and encourages them to return to the platform regularly.
Intranet design features to consider
Design is about creating the best possible experience for your employees.
If your intranet looks cluttered, outdated or uninviting, engagement and adoption can suffer.
Here are five design features we think are essential to incorporate into your intranet.
Strong company branding
Create an internal brand that aligns with your mission and helps employees feel a sense of ownership and connection to your company.
Your intranet should reflect your organisation's identity through colours, imagery, typography and content.
Our Five Guys customer story demonstrates how an Oak intranet can be customised to reflect a company's brand.
Signposting design
Design your intranet to serve as a hub or gateway into the wider digital workplace.
Use clear navigation, helpful widgets and signposting to guide employees towards the information, tools and pages they use most frequently.
Mixed media
Don't stick to text alone. Include video, images and HTML widgets to create a richer and more engaging experience.
Different content formats can make information easier to understand and prevent the intranet from feeling repetitive.
Full-width hero banner
Create a prominent hero banner that uses the available space above the fold to capture employees' attention.
Use this area to highlight important announcements, organisational priorities or key information that employees need to see.
A mixture of content
Include blogs, company news, social timelines, videos and quick links to present information in different ways.
A balanced mixture of content can make your homepage more engaging without allowing it to become too text-heavy.
Importance of your intranet homepage
The purpose of an intranet homepage is to provide quick access to what employees need most.
This includes frequently used applications and tools, critical company communications, statistics and performance information, and simple navigation to additional resources.
Your intranet homepage isn't designed for one singular function. Understanding the different ways employees use it is an important step towards creating a successful digital workplace.
Here are four common roles that an intranet homepage can serve.
| Homepage role | How it works | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Social and collaboration hub | Use company timelines and social features to encourage employees to communicate and interact. | Improves collaboration and communication between colleagues. |
| News centre | Display relevant company news, important announcements and mandatory reads. | Helps employees stay informed about important business updates. |
| Navigation tool | Provide intuitive menus and links to frequently accessed information. | Reduces the time employees spend searching for resources. |
| Widget launch pad | Include useful widgets such as pulse surveys and employee recognition without overwhelming the page. | Provides quick access to workplace activities and engagement tools. |
It's important to avoid overcrowding your homepage. Too many widgets or competing messages can make it difficult for employees to understand what deserves their attention.
Prioritise the functions employees use most often and make sure the homepage remains accessible across desktop and mobile devices.
A mobile intranet app is particularly useful for frontline and deskless employees who need access to news, documents and workplace resources without relying on a desktop computer.
What should your intranet homepage include?
Every company is unique, so there's no one-size-fits-all approach to designing the best intranet homepage.
However, there are common elements that can improve productivity, engagement and the overall intranet experience.
Here are ten elements to consider when designing your company homepage.
Simplicity
A simple intranet homepage allows employees to find what they need without feeling overwhelmed by content.
Navigation buttons should be straightforward, eliminating unnecessary complexity and making the experience easy to understand.
Creating a simple homepage can be challenging at first, but Oak's design team can provide expert advice to help improve the experience.
Prioritise key information
Prioritising information gives employees access to relevant content in one place.
Your homepage shouldn't be overloaded with information that rarely gets used.
Keep essential resources and important announcements near the top of the page, supporting a simpler design.
Applets and widgets
Part of keeping your company homepage clear and readable is avoiding content overload.
Oak's applets help group different types of news, notifications, employee recognition and other content into useful homepage areas.
The drag-and-drop homepage builder supports responsive, column-based layouts that adapt to different devices.
Various content forms
Your intranet homepage should provide access to different content formats, including images, videos, blog posts, articles and links.
An overly text-heavy intranet can contribute to disengagement and make important content easier to overlook.
Advanced search engine
Managing large numbers of documents within an intranet can be challenging.
An advanced search function helps employees locate relevant content, whether it's a current company policy or an older document.
Making search easy to access can reduce time spent looking for important information.
Collaboration tools
Collaboration should be a focus for any organisation because it supports better decision-making and improved productivity.
Your homepage can encourage collaboration through employee surveys, polls, shared articles and task-related activities.
Feedback forms and surveys
Employees should have opportunities to provide feedback about their organisation and workplace experience.
Adding surveys or feedback forms to the homepage makes it easier for employees to share concerns, provide suggestions and participate in workplace discussions.
Quick links
Some intranet pages and resources will be used more frequently than others.
Providing quick links on your homepage helps employees navigate directly to their most-used pages, applications and content.
This saves time and improves everyday efficiency.
Training materials
Onboarding new employees can be challenging, particularly when important information is spread across different systems.
Use your homepage to make training resources easy to find, improving efficiency and engagement during the first few weeks of employment.
Constant improvements
No matter how well-managed your intranet is, there will always be opportunities for improvement.
Regularly reviewing homepage content, navigation, usability and engagement can help maintain a positive experience.
Continuous improvements also help ensure the platform evolves with your workforce and business requirements.
A well-designed homepage needs to balance visual appeal with everyday usability.
The aim is to help employees find relevant information, access their tools and interact with company content without unnecessary complexity.
Intranet design examples
These intranet design examples represent different business sectors, challenges and employee needs, demonstrating how homepage layouts can combine functionality, content and aesthetics.
Our design team helps organisations create engaging intranets tailored to their brand, audience and business requirements.
Whether you're looking to upgrade your existing intranet, refresh your homepage or find a new intranet partner, the following examples highlight different combinations of useful features.
Example 1: Employee-focused homepage
Examples 2 & 3: Content and collaboration
Example 4: Connected digital workplace
Examples 5 & 6: Communication and engagement
Example 7: Employee community homepage
As these diverse intranet design examples show, the potential of your company intranet design is extensive.
Design includes everything from fonts and colours to features, applets, layouts and content. When these elements work together, your intranet can become a distinctive and useful part of your organisation.
If you're comparing platforms as part of an intranet redesign, our best intranet software comparison can help you evaluate the different solutions available.
Create an intranet your employees want to use
A successful intranet is more than an attractive homepage. It should make it easy for employees to find information, communicate with colleagues and access the tools they need every day.
By combining strong branding, clear navigation, mixed media and relevant content, organisations can create an intranet that supports engagement, productivity and collaboration.
Oak Engage provides flexible design capabilities, customisable homepages and employee communication features to help organisations create a more engaging digital workplace.
Discover how Oak Engage can help you create a customisable intranet tailored to your company.
