Our team took the SharePoint Hackathon challenge. Through our submission, we showcased how SharePoint can transform the user experience. Making information more interactive, engaging, and user-friendly.
But why does this matter?
A well-designed intranet is necessary. It improves productivity, enhances communication, and creates a better employee experience. With all the available modern design features in SharePoint, you don’t need custom development to create something impactful. With the right approach, you can leverage SharePoint’s built-in features to build a site that employees actually want to use.
In this article, we will walk you through our approach, the key features we experimented with, and the lessons we learned along the way.
We set out to prove that out-of-the-box SharePoint features can drive efficiency and engagement when used strategically. Our focus was on making information easy to find, visually appealing, and interactive.
We all understand that first impressions matter. Site visitors don’t have time to search for important updates. New web parts like the rotating carousel highlight key articles, announcements, and resources. Keeping critical information front and centre without requiring users to dig for it.
Navigation should be effortless. Intranet visitors do not want to guess when finding key information. With Quick Links, we can give direct access to essential tools and apps. Helping users find what they needed in a single click—especially useful in fast-paced work environments.
Communication is the backbone of any organization. Employees often miss key updates buried in emails. A dedicated announcement section ensures that everyone stays informed and aligned.
The Featured Announcements section ensures important updates and upcoming events. This content is always in plain sight, reducing the risk of missed information.
Finding information should be easy, not a scavenger hunt. We wanted site visitors to find key resources at a glance. Editorial Cards linked directly to important documents, templates, and guides—visually organizing content to improve UX and productivity.
A great real world digital workspace is more than just a collection of pages—it fosters engagement. Encouraging knowledge-sharing strengthens company culture and reduces siloed information. By integrating the Viva Engage Q&A web part, we created a space for employees to ask questions. Visitors can share insights, and connect with colleagues in real-time.
Beyond functionality, we wanted to create a visually compelling modern experience that keeps users engaged and improves readability.
To break away from static SharePoint layouts, we used flexible sections to mix images, text, and layered elements. This created a modern, dynamic feel while maintaining structure and clarity. A visually appealing page keeps users engaged and makes content more digestible.
Some messages deserve extra emphasis. Highlighting key messages create impact on the page. Our Feature Quote Section, with custom backgrounds and bold typography, made key takeaways stand out, reinforcing important insights.
Data can be overwhelming, so we used custom infographics to present complex information in a clear, digestible format. Visual storytelling helped make reports and key data points more accessible and engaging.
Why this matters: Walls of text are difficult to read. Infographics make information more engaging and easier to remember.
We strategically designed our pages with light and dark elements. Contrast was a key element used to guide the reader through the page. This approach made our pages more visually striking and improved content readability.
Creating an inclusive experience is a top priority for us. Digital spaces should be usable by everyone. We leveraged SharePoint’s Accessibility Assistant to identify and address potential issues, ensuring our content met accessibility standards for all users. Accessibility considerations improve the experience for all employees, not just those with disabilities.
One of the highlights of our submission was a custom-branded landing page layouts for the Marketing & Communications team. With the SharePoint Brand Center, we created a cohesive design. The SharePoint site theme aligned with our company’s brand.
For the second part, we built a custom editorial research article. This allowed us to experiment with SharePoint’s latest design features and create an engaging reading experience.
Custom Article Design Features:
We are thrilled to announce that our submission has been recognized in two categories at the SharePoint Hackathon:
🏆 Most Artistic SharePoint Visualization
This accomplishment is a testament to our team's dedication, creativity, and hard work. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the SharePoint community and look forward to continuing our journey of innovation and collaboration.
Want to see everything we’ve talked about come to life? Take a moment and watch our submission video.
Our SharePoint Hackathon experience reinforced one key idea. With creativity and the right tools, SharePoint online can be so much more than just a document storage platform. By using built-in features strategically, organizations can create engaging, visually dynamic, and highly functional digital workspaces.
If you’re working on an intranet project, this is your opportunity to make an impact. A well-designed intranet can:
We’re excited to keep exploring, innovating, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with SharePoint. Whether you're building a new intranet or enhancing an existing communication site, you will have options when it comes to the design. There are countless ways to make SharePoint more interactive, accessible, and visually compelling.
If you’re looking to elevate your SharePoint experience, start experimenting with these features today. The possibilities are endless!
2toLead is one-of-a-kind consulting services company with a unique blend of left and right brain thinking. We focus on Business Strategy, User Experience, and Technology expertise to help transform organizations like yours. Our approach is centered on working in partnership with you to deliver results. You'll love the way we work. Together.
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