Intranet design and development presents different challenges compared to external site design. These sites are normally accessed only by organization team members and often expected to house large amounts of information, with continuous changes, updates and additions.

Parente Randolph was a large Accounting and Consulting firm with offices throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Like most large organizations, the intranet was the center for all internal firm information including human resource material, marketing, administration, firm news and updates, and professional resources.

The development process for redesigning the intranet was a year long project. It began with a survey of the firm employees on it’s effectiveness and a detailed examination of its contents. With this information, the navigation and organization were planned and a new layout and look designed. This was the foundation I used to build the new site using HTML/CSS, XML, Flash, JavaScript, ASP, and a MSSQL backend.

Among the most important additions/changes to the site:

• The home page content was grouped into individual “windows” that users could open or close, as well as rearrange to enable users to customize the home page layout as best suits their needs.
• An editable list of “shortcuts” was available on every page so users can create links to the content they use most often.
• The content was organized into eight main areas to make navigation easier. The pages of each area used a unique color for headings and windows to orient users.
• A rotating Flash banner was placed on the home page for important announcements, programs, and events.

After launch, the response from the Firm team members was overwhelmingly positive. Most felt the new site was much easier to navigate and more visually appealing.