Look Before You Leap: The Importance of an Intranet Pilot

Few of us are brave enough to try something completely new without first taking a tiny bite. Perhaps by past experience, we know that if we take that large leap of faith, one of two things will happen: you'll spit it across the table and commit a catastrophic social faux-pas or you'll gobble it down and ask for seconds. Truth of the matter is that it makes sense to ensure the success of a greater whole by first tackling a smaller piece. Simple HTML-only document management systems of the early 1990's have given way to more robust, content laden intranets with dynamic database integration. With all the different uses for intranets now compared to a decade ago, it's vital to tackle a smaller working model before investing the time, effort, and money into achieving Nirvana in one try.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2003). Design>Web Design>Intranets

Why an Intranet Must Constantly be Updated - And Steps to Take to Make Sure It Is

The single most important thing to realize about an intranet is that it is a growing entity. If you wipe your brow in relief after rolling out your intranet and think that that was all there was to it, you are going to be in for a surprise. You should not leave your intranet locked away in some room and hope that it will run itself. Just look at the havoc and mayhem Macaulay Culkin created when he was left home alone. An intranet is no different when left to neglect and mismanagement—only no one will be laughing. An intranet must constantly be updated with new and relevant information so that it does not turn into a pile of yesterday's newspapers.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2001). Design>Web Design>Intranets

Beware the Bleeding Edge and Feature Creep

You want to make sure that your systems have a certain amount of longevity — prolonging system lifecycle, avoiding the risk of obsolescence, and maximizing your return on investment — by making use of current technologies while not hastily chasing bleeding-edge promises of some sort of high-tech eden.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets

Debunking Five Common Intranet Myths

Over the years I've received many e-mails from readers with some pretty wild, and even dangerous, misconceptions about intranet development and management. In this article I'll take a look at five of these common intranet myths.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets

Human-Centered Intranet Design

The role of the developer is to ensure that their systems don't put undue stress on users simply for the sake of technology. Developing for technology alone helps no one. It may showcase the advances in the industry and impress those in-the-know; but after the oohing and aahing stop, it does little to ease the disconnect between the user and the tool.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>User Centered Design

Selling Old-School Management on an Intranet

How do you get old-school management to support and finance an intranet when they themselves are not likely to use it?

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2004). Articles>Management>Web Design>Intranets

To Be, or Not To Be: Intranet Justification

Intranets are more than mere applications. An intranet is a community--made up of technology and personnel--that represents and supports an organization's collective knowledge and culture. And as such, the benefits of an intranet are not always apparent. Perhaps they're taken for granted as normal part of day-to-day operation; only in its absence will we truly discover the worth of an intranet.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets

Top Ten Ways to Lose Your Intranet Users

Intranet developers and content owners are able to grab the attention of their users through momentum. Interest--caused by curiosity, marketing, word-of-mouth, or hype--is raised during initial rollout. And there will always be a surge in your web server's usage logs during this period. But once the novelty has worn off, will your intranet have enough true substance to transform that initial momentum into regular usage?

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>User Centered Design

Why an Intranet Must Constantly be Updated

The single most important thing to realize about an intranet is that it is a growing entity. If you wipe your brow in relief after rolling out your intranet and think that that was all there was to it, you are going to be in for a surprise. You should not leave your intranet locked away in some room and hope that it will run itself.

Chin, Paul. Intranet Journal (2001). Articles>Web Design>Intranets