the quality and consistency of the intranet's appearance. - Interactive design: the clarity of layout, links, and forms to encourage interaction. - Emotional design: the use of vivid photography to evoke emotional responses. The design evolves iteratively. We produce multiple designs, show them to members of our audience, ask them how they would conduct key tasks, observe their success (or lack thereof), and then revise accordingly -- and repeat. In time, this process reveals a workable design. Then, the designers work closely with the developers to construct and maintain the intranet. 9. Monitor and encourage. To determine if your intranet is fulfilling its purpose, you'll want to monitor the behavior of your audience and offer encouragement. To do so: - Evaluate traffic patterns (page views) to spot trends. - Analyze common search terms and tune results. - Read all employee-generated content and participate in online discussions. - Establish guidelines for proper use and refer to them when necessary. - Respond swiftly (and politely) to questions and feedback. I read all employee comments on our intranet -- responses to photographs, news stories, problems seeking solutions, executive blogs, and questions from colleagues -- totaling hundreds each day. I call them my daily focus group, and can't imagine what I would do without the insights they provide. 10. Adapt and evolve. The journey will not always be smooth. You'll frequently encounter resource constraints, opposition, and setbacks. Be an advocate for the people you serve, pushing boundaries on their behalf, but not at your