Transforming a Legacy Intranet Experience

The Ask

Client: A heritage lifestyle brand with a retail and corporate footprint
Role: Lead Content Strategist (functioning at ACD Copy level)

The Real Problem

How do you rebuild trust and create connection with a platform people gave up on years ago?

The old intranet was outdated, hard to navigate, and full of broken content. Most teams avoided it completely. The new design offered better functionality, but without a clear strategy for voice, structure, or utility, it risked the same fate.

This wasn’t just a design challenge. It was a communication one.

The Thinking Behind the Story

Legacy systems are often the hardest to untangle. They're layered with old habits, outdated structures, and invisible rules that no longer serve the people using them.

This project was all about clearing the clutter and rebuilding a content experience that actually worked for employees. I stepped in to help transform a legacy intranet into something intuitive, accessible, and grounded in real business priorities.

That meant getting into the weeds with stakeholders, mapping messy content ecosystems, and shaping a narrative structure that could support everything from HR policies to team updates. My goal was to create a system that didn’t just organize content but it made it feel purposeful.

What made this one meaningful was the clarity it brought. Employees no longer had to guess where to find things or what language to use. It wasn’t flashy. It was functional, strategic, and deeply human.

Voice with a Job to Do

I approached the task like a product relaunch with editorial vision. The goal was to give the intranet a clear voice and make content feel findable, useful, and consistent across teams.

  • Led content audit and created new UX writing standards

  • Built a scalable content model that mapped to team priorities and real-world use

  • Developed messaging that guided teams through the new structure

  • Wrote support copy, orientation content, and in-platform guidance

  • Collaborated with designers to simplify navigation and reduce information debt

  • Rewrote core pages and sections using content hierarchy and shared standards

  • Delivered a messaging framework teams could adopt and evolve internally

  • Helped leadership shift governance through tools, training, and centralized strategy

Creative Impact

  • The restructured intranet resulted in a smoother, more user-friendly experience

  • Content updates were easier to manage and less reliant on IT

  • Employees reported increased clarity and fewer dead ends

  • The voice felt more aligned with company culture and easier to navigate

Bottom Line

A scattered system became a trusted source by treating the intranet like a brand experience employees actually wanted to use.