Project – Early Intranet Development for Grey Advertising

Navigating the Beginnings of Digital Workspaces and Web Accessibility

Project Objective

Create an early-stage, intranet-based repository for Grey Advertising to centralize resources and links, allowing staff to access company materials, directories, and shared resources from a single, accessible webpage. This project, conducted part-time while I was studying, provided essential early exposure to the digital environment and the fundamentals of web-based information organization.

Project Description

In the late 1990s, internet use in business was rapidly evolving, with browsers like Netscape Navigator transforming how people accessed information. As a budding designer at Grey Advertising, I worked part-time to support the development of a simple, HTML-based intranet system, experimenting with Microsoft FrontPage and Internet Information Server (IIS). This was my introduction to creating navigational structures and making internal resources accessible to agency staff.

The intranet began as a straightforward link repository—essentially an internal homepage, styled with hyperlinks to important resources such as contact lists, department materials, and fonts and colors frequently used by the creative team. As my understanding of the agency’s structure and needs grew, I built connections with colleagues across departments. Learning directly from the IT and office administration teams, I grasped the practical side of resource sharing, user accessibility, and the significance of each department’s workflows, from traffic management to creative assets.

This project also exposed me to the fundamentals of user journeys. I gathered insights by observing how different departments—like traffic and creative—interacted with resources and learning how internal systems like the traffic system connected to creative briefs, jobs, and resource lists. For instance, the regularly updated telephone directory, created as an Excel spreadsheet, taught me the basics of linking dynamic content to a webpage. The telephone list was similar to a simple database, with the potential for exporting lists to create more interactive resources for employees.

My supervisor in the IT department provided a valuable, if informal, source of mentorship, showing me how to approach projects with an understanding of purpose and technical feasibility. This learning environment offered inspiration and shaped my approach to interface and design, showing me the potential for integrating user-centered thinking even at this early stage of intranet development.

Project Highlights

1. Early Exploration of Web-Based Accessibility and Interface Design

This project marked my first encounter with creating web interfaces tailored for non-technical users across an organization. Working with FrontPage allowed me to experiment with HTML, creating a simple, visually accessible structure that users across the agency could navigate with ease. Since most users’ browsers defaulted to the intranet homepage on startup, the design had to be intuitive and functional to avoid user frustration. This was foundational in building my understanding of accessibility as a core component of user experience.

2. Introduction to Systems and Resource Organization

As I connected resources for departments, I observed early forms of information architecture. Elements such as the telephone directory—essentially a searchable resource—required periodic updates and taught me the importance of current data. I gained firsthand experience managing the organization of links and the value of structuring information for quick access, which became critical in later projects.

3. Understanding Departmental Workflows and User Needs

Meeting with different teams introduced me to user-centric thinking, showing me how each department—creative, traffic, administration—used resources differently. For example, the creative team relied on specific fonts and color references, so I organized these as direct links. Observing these workflows and seeing the impact of accessible resources on productivity highlighted the role of intranets as more than just informational tools—they were integral to supporting employees in their daily tasks.

Skills Developed

•User-Centered Design Foundations: Developed an early understanding of interface usability by creating accessible intranet pages tailored to varied user needs.

•Basic Information Architecture: Learned to organize resources logically, using links and directories to create a cohesive, navigable structure for the agency’s staff.

•Dynamic Content Linking: Practiced linking and updating dynamic resources, such as contact lists and department directories, using basic HTML and FrontPage.

•Cross-Departmental Communication: Gained experience interacting with various departments, understanding their resource needs, and adapting the intranet structure accordingly.

Job Title

Part-Time Apprentice, Grey Advertising

Relevant Experience

1998–2001 (part-time)

This role was foundational in developing my understanding of web-based design and resource accessibility during a dynamic period in internet development.

Technologies Used

•HTML and CSS: Used to create the initial intranet structure and design elements.

•Microsoft FrontPage: Supported web content creation, enabling rapid updates to the intranet’s links and resources.

•Internet Information Server (IIS): Provided the basic server framework for hosting the intranet pages.

•Excel for Dynamic Content: Utilized Excel for maintaining and updating the agency’s contact list, reflecting an early experience with data management.

Outcomes and Impact

•Increased Accessibility to Resources: Provided staff with centralized access to frequently used resources and information, improving efficiency in finding internal tools and directories.

•Foundation in Digital Communication Tools: This project introduced the agency’s team to the possibilities of digital workspaces and laid the groundwork for more sophisticated intranet functions in future iterations.

•Practical Insights into User Needs: Through direct interactions with various departments, I gained insights into the practical needs of users, learning to approach design with user journeys in mind—a skill that would inform my later work in UX and systems architecture.

Related Projects

•Internal HTML-Based Newsletter: Created a simple HTML newsletter integrated into the intranet, providing company-wide updates and reinforcing the intranet’s role as a central communication tool.

•Resource and Link Repository: Developed a structured set of links to internal resources, organized by department and frequently accessed materials, supporting the early organization of information within the agency.

 

Created by © Carlos-Saraiva.com 2024-10-30__10h05.22_CMS
UX-Design@Carlos-Saraiva.com
#InformationDesign | #UIDesign | #UXDesign