Arkestro Intranet Portal
Arkestro is a company that specializes in procurement software, helping businesses optimize their purchasing processes. Their platform uses data and AI to make smarter, faster buying decisions, ultimately saving companies time and money.
Duration
Three Months
Skills
User Research, User Interviews, User Testing, Usability Testing, Google Sites, Google Analytics, Iterative Design
Team
One Person
Overview
During my internship, I had the opportunity to design a central intranet portal for the company. This portal was created to streamline internal communication and make it easier for employees to access key resources and tools. Through this project, I applied my UX design skills to create an intuitive, user-friendly platform that enhanced collaboration and efficiency within the organization.
Problem
Arkestro, a small company with fewer than 50 employees, was facing a challenge typical of growing startups: their shared Google Drives were becoming increasingly cumbersome and visually unappealing. With no central repository for information and constant changes in the fast-paced environment, they needed a solution that could keep up. The company required a centralized platform where each team could easily share and update information with other departments. Additionally, they wanted to streamline the onboarding process for new employees, ensuring they could quickly access the resources they needed.
In response to this challenge, I designed a central intranet portal titled "The Ark" that addressed these needs. The portal provided a user-friendly, adaptable platform where information could be organized and easily accessed, helping Arkestro keep up with its rapid growth while improving communication and efficiency across the company.
01 Research
I conducted market research on what types on content are typical of intranet sites. I looked at competing platforms that offer these sites to much larger companies to see how some of these features could be translated to a start-up. All of these potential items were discussed with the team and I received feedback on how relevant potential features could be to everyday company life.
02 User Interviews
For the Ark project, each functional area of the company had one delegate who represented the needs of that team. I conducted interviews with each of these members to get a better idea of what kinds of features would be the most useful. Arkestro wanted this site to be a place where employees could look everyday for their necessary updates. They also wanted more functional communication between teams. While conducting these interviews I asked questions like “what kind of information does your department most often need from other areas of the company” and “what questions most often get asked of those in your department.” I also took time to interview the most recent hire to make the Ark a valuable resource for new people joining the Arkestro team.
03 Design
Creating Site Structure
As the sole designer tasked with constructing the intranet portal, I meticulously analyzed the company's structure to determine which teams required dedicated pages. Given the startup's dynamic nature, I prioritized a framework that would withstand organizational changes. Balancing user-friendliness for new employees with the practical needs of content-rich departments proved challenging. The navigation menu underwent several iterations as I refined its structure. To inform these decisions, I referenced my notes from in-depth interviews with department representatives, gathering insights on content priorities and desired presentation formats.
Iterations of the structure of ‘The Ark’
A flow chart showing potential ways to organize ‘The Ark’
Iterations of the navigational menu of ‘The Ark’
Designing the Pages
To bring the intranet portal to life, I collaborated closely with department representatives to understand their unique content needs and goals. These insights were essential in crafting engaging and informative team pages. Additionally, I maintained meticulous adherence to brand guidelines through a partnership with the marketing team. The attached images showcase early iterations of the homepage and marketing team page, serving as tangible examples of my design process and vision for the intranet portal.
Low-fidelity draft of the main marketing landing page
Low-fidelity draft of ‘The Ark’ home page
04 User Testing
Once we felt confident in the design of the Ark I conducted user testing on employees from various teams. I wanted to ensure the site was usable and genuinely helpful in everyday tasks. In these testing sessions I gave straightforward tasks to employees and monitored any struggles, confusion, and mistakes. These notes were taken into account and adjustments to the design were made as needed. After the formal launch of the Ark we included a feedback form and asked employees to reach out if they had any suggestions for improvement. This phase was incredibly helpful in creating the finishing touches of the site. We were able to monitor site usage for the first few weeks of the launch and found a majority of employees using the ‘The Ark’ daily.
A Tour of ‘The Ark’
Embark on a visual journey through the heart of the company with this video walkthrough of the intranet portal homepage. Designed to be both informative and inviting, the Ark serves as a central hub for employees, providing essential updates and fostering a sense of community. Discover how intuitive navigation and visually appealing design work together to create a seamless user experience that welcomes new hires and empowers the entire workforce.
Due to ‘The Ark’ being an internal site, much of the content I created is for company use only. This is just a small section of what was made.