DCMS Wordpress-based intranet case study - cheaper, quicker, and user-centred

2013-03-30

Continuing what appears to be turning into a series on alternative intranets technologies, here is a great study from the UK about relaunching the Department for Culture, Media & Sport's intranet with Wordpress.

There are two main reasons for reading this case study:

Background

The intranet for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) supports the work of 380 staff, who manage a diverse portfolio of policy areas.

Some key facts about their new intranet:

Design and Development Approach

Using Wordpress, an open source platform, is only one part of the story in this case study. Under-pining the new intranet was a user-centred and agile design approach based on the UK government's Government Digital Service Design Principles:

The results is an intranet that is built in an iterative fashion (it was launched as a 'beta' before it was finished), around a task-orientated information architecture:

“How Do I?” – the DCMS intranet putting user needs first

You can read more detail (and see more screenshots) about this case study on Luke Oatham's blog:

My thoughts...

Does this mean that Wordpress is the perfect technical solution for every intranet? No, but I do think that many intranets are over complex and beyond fit for purpose.

What is important about this case study is the combination of right approach and right technology. Since the technologies already exist, what is stopping you from creating an agile intranet?