I was brought on board by a San Francisco-based UX agency to serve as the Lead UX Designer for an ambitious project with The Hershey Company. Hershey, a global name in the food industry with a focus on chocolates and confectioneries, was looking to completely revamp its existing intranet system. The goal was to leverage Microsoft technologies like SharePoint to create a state-of-the-art intranet that would better serve the needs of its employees while aligning with the company's overall business objectives. Working closely with an in-house researcher and the agency account manager acting as a product owner on behalf of Hershey's project team, we embarked on a journey to transform their digital workspace.

The primary objective of the project was threefold: boost employee engagement, implement an effective content management strategy, and ensure high user adoption rates. To heighten engagement, the intranet was designed to feature compelling and relevant content, tailored to meet the distinct needs of different user segments.

User Persona's & Scenario's

Building upon a multi-day contextual inquiry carried out by a research team hired by Hershey, I took the reins to design an intranet that would address the company's diverse workforce needs and expectations. The in-house research data provided invaluable insights into the specific requirements and behaviors of different employee groups. Armed with this information, I developed Stakeholder Profiles and User Scenarios to accurately represent the varied journeys that employees would take through the intranet.  

Content & Site Audit

I conducted a Content Audit of Hershey's existing intranet. This gave me a clear understanding of the current state of content and how well it met the needs of the company's diverse workforce. The audit revealed areas for improvement and content gaps, which I then addressed in the new Content Strategy. This hands-on analysis was crucial for ensuring that the redesigned intranet would provide more targeted and relevant content for everyone from in-house staff to farm workers. By weaving together these insights from the Content Audit and the rich data from Hershey's own research team, I was able to develop a Requirement Analysis that fully aligned with the company's business goals and the end-users' needs. This multi-faceted approach laid a strong foundation for the new intranet's design, ensuring it would be both effective and engaging for all employee segments.

Card Sorting Exercise

After completing the content audit of Hershey's existing intranet, I moved on to conducting a Card Sort exercise using remote tools. This allowed employees from different departments and roles to participate, ensuring a broad spectrum of user perspectives. In this exercise, employees were provided with digital "cards" representing various content elements and features of the intranet. They were then tasked with sorting these cards into conceptual "buckets" or categories that made the most sense to them.

The Card Sort exercise is instrumental in shaping a user-centric content strategy and website navigation. By analyzing how employees grouped the cards, I gained valuable insights into their mental models and how they expected information to be organized on the intranet. This exercise provided a data-backed framework for creating an intuitive Information Architecture. As a result, the new intranet would have a navigation structure that resonated with the end-users' natural way of categorizing and locating information, thereby making the platform more usable and effective.

Addressing Hershey's multifaceted workforce presented an intriguing challenge. The staff is diverse, not only in their roles but also in their technological requirements for accessing the intranet. To ensure a balanced user experience, we carried out extensive user testing involving each of these user groups.

Key Findings

Hershey's farm workers are integral to the cocoa cultivation process, handling everything from planting to harvesting. However, they typically don't have traditional workstations or desktops, making it challenging to provide them with access to the company intranet. Their primary need was to get quick updates on company news, weather conditions, and safety protocols while working out in the fields.

In contrast, the in-house employees, responsible for tasks like marketing, sales, finance, and product development, had more complex needs. They required an intranet with diverse functionalities, including project collaboration tools, document sharing, and internal communications platforms.

A unique subset was the sales team, who are often on the road and needed an efficient way to access the intranet on-the-go. They typically carry small laptops with them and needed a streamlined, responsive version of the intranet that allows them to quickly access essential information, client data, and sales tools.

With the user requirements clearly defined, I initiated the design process by aligning our system needs with Microsoft's suite of integrations. To ensure seamless compatibility and leverage the full potential of Microsoft technologies, I collaborated with a Microsoft expert. This engagement helped in fine-tuning our technical approach and making informed decisions about which Microsoft integrations could be effectively employed.

Information Architecture & Rapid Prototyping

To facilitate a shared understanding of the expected technology among the team, I developed various design artifacts including Information Architecture, Use Cases, Sitemaps, and Low-Fidelity Wireframes. These elements served to communicate the design proposal effectively, illustrating both the new content approach and information flow. Utilizing these methodologies not only provided a visual blueprint but also helped the Hershey team arrive at an effective content management strategy. In the end, this comprehensive approach contributed to creating a cohesive and holistic user experience that was fully compatible with Microsoft's technology ecosystem.

Testing Design Solutions

In the testing phase, we developed and evaluated targeted design solutions for Hershey's diverse workforce. For farm workers, a mobile-friendly interface was created, allowing them easy access to essential updates even in the field. For in-house teams, we integrated advanced features like project management dashboards, calendars, and document repositories accessible via their workstations. Sales personnel received a lightweight, responsive version of the intranet, optimized for small laptop screens, to keep them connected while on the move. These iterative tests helped fine-tune the features, significantly improving user adoption rates. Overall, the redesigned intranet effectively met the unique needs of each employee group, streamlining work processes and enhancing company-wide communication.

Summary

The successful implementation of the redesigned intranet had a transformative impact on Hershey and its diverse workforce. Employee productivity was significantly boosted as the new platform streamlined day-to-day tasks and made information easily accessible. Communication within the company improved, with executive messages and updates reaching employees more effectively, thereby fostering greater engagement and connectivity. Moreover, the intranet's collaborative features facilitated interdepartmental communication, breaking down silos and encouraging knowledge sharing. Leveraging SharePoint and Microsoft technology ensured that the intranet was not only stable but also scalable for future growth. This case study underscores the critical role of user-centric design in crafting an intranet that serves as a potent enabler of employee collaboration and communication.