Modern Intranet Design: Key Elements for Today’s Digital Workplace

Done right, a modern intranet becomes an interactive, employee-centric hub that informs, engages, and empowers teams—wherever and however they work. But achieving that impact takes more than good technology; it demands thoughtful design aligned with proven best practices.

In 2025, modern intranet design is more important than ever. With hybrid and remote work now the norm, employees expect intuitive, mobile-friendly, and personalized digital experiences that mirror the best consumer apps. A well-designed intranet strengthens communication, boosts engagement, and drives measurable business results—but only if it’s built to meet today’s expectations and tomorrow’s needs.

In this post, we’ll explore what defines modern intranet design, share seven best practices, showcase real-world examples, and highlight emerging trends like AI-driven personalization and smart automation. Whether you’re creating a new intranet or refreshing an existing one, these insights will help you build a solution that truly connects your workforce and supports long-term success.

A modern intranet is built around employees’ real needs. It’s intuitive, efficient, and designed to support both daily tasks and broader organizational goals. Today’s users expect the same speed, simplicity, and personalization they experience with the best apps—and anything less can quickly lead to low adoption.

Key elements of successful modern intranet designs include:

✔ User-centric and intuitive interfaces: Employees should be able to easily find information, complete tasks, and collaborate without unnecessary friction.

✔ Mobile-first and responsive design: Your intranet must work seamlessly across smartphones, tablets, and desktops—anytime, anywhere.

✔ Integration with workplace tools: Connecting platforms like Microsoft 365, Teams, and Slack streamlines work and reduces context switching.

✔ Personalization and customization options: Offering personal dashboards, role-specific content, and flexible layouts ensures every user sees what matters most.

✔ Accessibility and inclusivity: Designing with accessibility standards in mind creates an intranet that’s usable for everyone and fosters a more equitable digital workplace.

Focus on these essentials to build an intranet that drives adoption today and evolves with your organization’s future needs. 

Designing a modern intranet isn’t just about features—it’s about creating an experience that feels useful, easy, and inspiring for employees. Here’s how to do it:

Make the intranet personal. Offer configurable dashboards, features, recommended content, and tailored news feeds based on role, location, and interests. When employees see relevant information, engagement grows naturally.

Image 1: Intranet start page with personalized content and features as My documents, My news, My profile, and more.

Clear navigation matters. Use well-organized mega-menus, breadcrumb trails to keep users oriented, and personalized navigation and predictive search to surface answers quickly. Easy navigation reduces frustration and boosts productivity. 

Image 2: Visual mega menu with navigation in card view.

Visuals are powerful. Use images, videos, and infographics to highlight news, share company culture, and explain complex ideas. A visually engaging intranet makes communication more memorable—and more human. 

Image 3: Storytelling news article with media gallery containing images and video.

Mobile access isn’t optional—it’s expected. Ensure your intranet delivers a full-featured, intuitive experience across devices so employees can stay connected and productive wherever they work. Include news, discussions, tasks, polls, and more.

Image 4: Examples from an intranet mobile app with news feed, tasks for sign-off, and poll.

The intranet should act as a launchpad for teamwork. Embed tools like Teams, SharePoint, and project apps to make collaboration fast, simple, and natural—no extra logins required.

Image 5: The full intranet experience surfaced in Microsoft Teams.

Strong search is essential. Use metadata, filters, and AI-powered semantic search to help employees quickly find the people, documents, and knowledge they need. 

Image 6: AI-powered semantic search implemented on intranet start page.

Design with tomorrow in mind. A modular, flexible intranet makes it easy to expand content, add features, and support new teams as your organization grows. 

Image 7: Location page with information, people, documents, news, contact, map, and weather.

Modern intranet design keeps evolving to meet rising expectations. Here are four trends shaping leading intranet platforms this year:

Artificial intelligence is making intranets smarter—automatically surfacing relevant content, news, and tools based on individual behaviour and preferences. Personalized experiences boost engagement and efficiency.

Image 8: Intranet start page with content "suggested for you" driving personalization.

Automation is streamlining common workflows like onboarding, task reminders, forms, and compliance tracking. Saving employees time on routine tasks frees them to focus on meaningful work. 

Image 9: Employee handbook page supporting leave requests and routine HR processes.

Adding game-like elements—such as progress badges, leaderboards, or interactive challenges—can drive participation in training, wellness programs, and social initiatives, making the intranet more lively and engaging.

Image 10: Knowledge sharing community with gamification features like "Top Contributor" recognition.

Modern intranets offer deeper insights into what’s working. Real-time analytics help teams fine-tune content, improve engagement, and ensure the intranet continues to deliver measurable value. 

Image 11: Intranet metrics in Governance hub to help understand user behaviour and patterns.

Real-world examples show how modern intranet design principles come to life. Across industries, organizations are building intranets that empower employees, strengthen communication, and support business growth.

Here’s how MAN Energy Solutions, Steer, and Rödl & Partner are leading the way:

MAN Energy Solutions implemented a modern, Omnia-based intranet integrated with Microsoft 365. Focusing on user experience, internal champions, and strong governance, their platform became a central hub for communication and digital work—earning recognition at the Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards in 2022 and 2024.

Read more about the intranet of MAN Energy Solutions.

Steer, a consultancy specializing in infrastructure and transportation, launched a global intranet connecting 600 specialists across 26 offices. Built on Omnia, the platform makes essential resources easily accessible and integrates tightly with Microsoft 365, creating a more collaborative and efficient work environment.

Read more about the intranet of Steer.

Rödl & Partner modernized their intranet to improve findability, multilingual support, and process management. Using Omnia’s modular design and decentralized content governance, they empowered local teams while maintaining a unified global experience—strengthening communication and collaboration across offices.

Read more about the intranet of Rödl & Partner.

Thinking about how to apply these ideas? Let’s explore the right starting point for your organization.

Building a modern intranet starts with understanding employees’ needs. Begin with a thorough needs assessment and user research to uncover what’s working—and where gaps exist. Involve employees early and often to ensure the solution truly meets their expectations.

Also, implement employee feedback loops into every phase—from initial design to post-launch enhancements. A modern intranet that evolves with employee needs stays valuable, relevant, and impactful over time.

Choosing the right platform for your intranet is just as important. Look for solutions that offer flexibility, scalability, and seamless integration with the tools your organization already relies on.

A well-designed intranet is more than a digital noticeboard—it’s a powerful tool for connecting teams, driving engagement, and achieving business goals. By focusing on user-centered design, mobile usability, smart integrations, and scalability, you can build an intranet that employees trust and rely on every day.

Ready to get started? Whether you're starting fresh, planning a redesign, or refreshing your existing platform, a great first step can be to discuss requirements and expectations with one of our experts. Book a free 30-minute session with an Omnia Coach today.

If you’re not ready for that step yet, learn more by downloading the free guide: 15 Intranet Best Practices for 2025 for expert insights, practical examples, and proven strategies to design an intranet that delivers real results.