The design of public websites, particularly when they have a marketing or branding role, is vital. In these cases, a team of experienced graphic designers and front end developers work hard to create polished and beautiful designs.

When it comes to intranets, however, is their ‘look and feel’ so important? Fundamentally, should intranets look sexy?

Design of public sites

We are all exposed to the wide range of designs for public sites, from the very ugly to the very beautiful.

Major consumer brands have attractive and vibrant home pages, while even technology companies present polished designs.

These sites reflect the brands and images of the companies they belong to, making their design an important factor. The sites are also about marketing the businesses’ products or services, and the design plays a role in engaging potential purchasers.

A whole industry has grown around delivering these highly polished and sexy sites, made up of specialists in branding, communication, marketing, visual design, web design and web development.

When it comes to intranets, do these same factors apply? Do intranets need to be sexy?

[CM Briefing 2008-09, read the full article]