Latest Information Architecture & Governance topics

What Happened with SharePoint Lists? The new Microsoft Lists user experience has rolled out for SharePoint. With this a lot of changes have happened. In the past, the lists and libraries experiences in SharePoint were owned by different teams at Microsoft. Meaning that the same features would be implemented by two different teams, which often resulted in two different user experiences. Additionally, the Microsoft Lists app, likely managed by yet another team, further complicates this issue. The Microsoft Lists experience was intended to bring about performance improvements and increase efficiency. However, some of these improvements have inadvertently created new challenges that we discuss below.

In this Ask Sympraxis session, we expand on the foundational concepts discussed in the previous episode, focusing on the role of SharePoint Managed Metadata for Search. If you haven’t caught up on that episode yet, we recommend starting there to better understand the central role of the term store and managed metadata in building a robust information architecture. Term store vs. managed metadata The term store and managed metadata are often mentioned together, but it’s important to differentiate between the two. The term store is essentially the repository where terms are created, managed, and stored, while managed metadata refers to the method by which these terms are integrated into SharePoint. Though they work hand in hand, they serve different purposes within SharePoint’s ecosystem.

In this Ask Sympraxis session, we delve into the intricacies of the SharePoint Term Store, a critical component for maintaining consistency in how we categorize and tag content across an organization’s intranet. What is the SharePoint Term Store? The Term Store in SharePoint is essentially a repository for commonly used terms. It provides a tenant-wide or site-wide source of terms organized hierarchically, ensuring we use the same language when working in SharePoint. This consistency is crucial as it makes information easier to find. However, agreeing on the terms can sometimes be challenging since different groups might prefer different terms, such as “policy” versus “guideline.” To address this, the Term Store allows for alternate labels or synonyms. When users type an alternate label, SharePoint pulls up the actual term, making it easier to standardize language across the organization.

Back in the day, SharePoint developers reveled in the ability to craft pixel-perfect intranets and websites, wielding full control over branding assets. However, this era of limitless customization came at a cost - considerable technical debt. If you built an intranet with custom branding, you had to account for every web part, how it was used, and how it was branded, often at the expense of performance. The good news is all that changes in the new modern brand center as it is slowly giving us back customization options.

Crafting a compelling home page on SharePoint is an art and a science, requiring a delicate balance of strategic planning and creative execution. At the heart of it all lies the principle of consistency. Whether the page serves as an intranet hub or a team site, users should encounter a familiar layout and navigation that guides them to their desired content. Rules of thumb Beyond consistency, we recommend placing crucial content in the top left corner. This ensures visibility without requiring excessive scrolling, a nod to the traditional concept of the “fold” borrowed from newspaper design. However, the visual appeal is equally important; the use of color, imagery, and layout can provide powerful cues that guide users through the page and draw their attention to key information.

Migrating to and within Microsoft 365 can sometimes be a daunting task fraught with challenges, from data integrity to user adoption. That’s where the Sympraxis Approach comes in. This session of Ask Sympraxis digs deeper into migrations, focusing specifically on a redesign approach. If you’d like a broader overview of migrations in general, please visit our prior session What does migration really mean?. Redesign: Pros and Cons The consensus is clear: lift and shift approaches are a thing of the past. The redesign methodology offers a chance to rectify past mistakes, leveraging lessons learned to implement better practices and improve platform performance. By splitting the intranet between communication and team sites, organizations can reduce technical debt and align more closely with business needs. However, with pros comes cons and the redesign method requires more effort, testing, and collaboration. Despite the added workload, we believe the benefits far outweigh the challenges.

Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of migration? Don’t worry, this session of Ask Sympraxis is here to assist you! Our discussion covered various aspects, ranging from the definition of migration all the way to potential speed bumps. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the key takeaways: Understanding migration Migration, simply put, involves moving content from one place to another. This process takes different forms, such as organizational mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, and transitioning to the cloud. However, keep in mind migration is not merely about relocating files; it gives you an opportunity to enhance and improve existing structures.

At its core, a template serves as a blueprint, allowing repeatability, consistency, and encapsulating institutional knowledge. For more detailed information and an overview of templates in general, please visit our prior Ask Sympraxis session. Maturity Model approach As we love to often reference, templates can also be viewed in relation to the Maturity Model. Starting at level 100, templates are completely absent, and everything is configured manually on the fly. The Microsoft provided templates occupy the 200 level. Templates can go all the way to the 500 level, where an automated custom approach to template management is applied.

In this Ask Sympraxis session, we explore the intricacies of page templates in SharePoint and Microsoft 365. For a broader understanding of templates, check out our templates overview session. In short, templates play a crucial role in ensuring consistency, repeatability, and encapsulating institutional knowledge. Creating Page Templates To create a page template, we suggest starting off with building a page using your desired content. Once the content is ready, select the ‘Save as Template’ option, located in the upper left corner while editing the page, this clones the page and places a copy in the templates folder of your site.

This session the team focuses specifically on content types and document templates. Within the Microsoft ecosystem, we must emphasize their role in ensuring repeatability, maintaining consistency, and encapsulating institutional knowledge. Content types as templates Content types are defined as collections of structured or unstructured data representing business objects, for example: benefits, contracts, and vacation requests. Content types play a crucial role in defining these entities and the associated data, enabling the creation of intricate hierarchies of content.