As we start getting back to the new normal, it’s worth reflecting on a few trends that we’ve noticed here at Article Ten over the last two years.
One thing that has become abundantly clear is that internal communications are no longer the ugly sister. Traditionally, companies have focussed on their external communications, but with employees physically away from their offices, not only did we see platforms such as TEAMs and Zoom became essential to doing our daily jobs, but internal comms became increasingly central to our clients’ activities:
- We saw a resurgence in intranet redesign and development work, particularly SharePoint, as companies offered their staff resources and information in areas such as mental wellbeing, finance and health. Our ability to offer custom SharePoint design and development proved very popular, allowing companies to communicate with their staff more effectively in an environment that looked far more like an external-facing website, than a dull repository of information.
- Our larger clients asked us to help create virtual events as they were no longer able to hold physical staff events. Our integrated expertise across design, digital, video, copywriting and PowerPoint proved invaluable. Whether it be virtual waiting rooms, beautifully animated decks, invite and employee newsletter templates or PowerPoint video leave-behinds; we tried as much as possible to replicate the engagement of a physical event in a virtual environment.
- Interactive PDFs also proved very popular as important documents of record – how-to guides, playbooks, care packs or HR people strategies. Engagement, clear navigation, and the ability to embed links to video and additional resources were all key benefits that our customers appreciated.
- And finally, there was a big increase in demand for infographic and animation work, as both offer a more visual and succinct way of telling stories or explaining processes than more traditional and clunky text-based messaging.
However, the biggest lesson was that great design should always underpin everything you do. Important messages in areas such as HR or information security, which can sometimes be perceived as dull, are far more likely to be effective if delivered in a visually engaging way. Grabbing attention and winning hearts and minds is the important thing here, and never underestimate the power of design to achieve that.
Internal comms the ugly sister? Not anymore!
