Looking for Inspirations for your 2011 Intranet Initiative? (and musings about usability)

Have a good technology platform in one form or the other is no guarantee for Intranet success, even if your platform is leading in social. Intranets need to be usable. Memento bene: I say " usable" not " user friendly". I haven't seen "friendly" software, people are friendly (hopefully). Intranets (or any technology) needs to be fit for purpose and that's called "usable". A lot of times "usable" is perceived as rather "fluffy" description, However there is a clear description in ISO 9241:

• Usability: Extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use
• Effectiveness: Accuracy and completeness with which users achieve specified goals
• Efficiency: Resources expended in relation to the accuracy and completeness with which users achieve goals.
• Satisfaction: Freedom from discomfort, and positive attitudes towards the use of the product

In other words: Can your users do the right thing, error free, fast, complete and will they be pleased. I recall I once was discussing the design of an accounting package with a tax consultant. I mentioned that account numbers are really hard to memorise and that names would be better. However in the context of use (software for accounting professionals) and the specific users (data entry clerks) account numbers proved to be the superior solution. Users could keep one hand on the numeric keypad to enter data and the other hand was free to flip through the pages. Another example: If you know your commands well, the command line is actually a superior user experience (specified users: knowledgeable about commands) since it will perform given task fast and accurate and leave the users with that pleasant feeling of accomplishment. If you specify the users different (e.g. casual or clueless users) the command line becomes a nightmare and a wizard driven GUI might provide the best user experience. Already Tao Zhu Gong stated 400 BC as first business rule: "Know your people" in his art of trade.
Back to the Intranets. The Nielsen Norman Group just published the 2011 edition of their annual Intranet design competition. Reviewing the winners can serve as an excellent source of inspiration for your own initiative. Of course: don't copy blindly since your context of users, goals and outcomes most likely is different. And don't limit yourself to the latest edition. Reports are available for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, Financial Service Intranets, Web 2.0 Intranets, Portals and many more. Jacob Nielsen's UseIT always is good for an entertaining read. The NNGroup Usability conference Hong Kong is surly worth a visit.