SharePoint intranet: plan a homepage wireframe

Key insights

• A wireframe lets stakeholders move and revise homepage sections before anyone builds the SharePoint site.
• Plan a balance between navigation, such as links to policies, and communication, such as news and announcements.
• Size news areas for the content the organization can publish and keep current.
• A rough PowerPoint layout can use labeled boxes instead of polished graphics or a full mockup.
• The demonstrated homepage includes a news carousel, three prominent links, useful links and a department news roll-up.

A SharePoint intranet homepage wireframe helps teams agree on the layout and content before they start building the site. It is useful for intranet planners, communications staff and stakeholders who need to decide what employees should see and access first. Dougie Wood [MVP] demonstrates a simple way to sketch that plan in PowerPoint.

What it does

A wireframe is a rough visual outline of a page. It uses basic shapes and labels to show what content areas might go where, without committing to finished graphics or a built SharePoint page. The point is to make the proposed experience easy to review and change.

That early review matters because stakeholders can discuss priorities while sections are still simple to move. A box can be renamed, resized or repositioned much more easily than a built page. The wireframe also gives people a shared object to comment on, instead of asking them to picture an abstract proposal.

For a homepage, the central design question is the balance between navigation and communication. Navigation helps employees reach services and reference material, such as policies, procedures, handbooks, guides or an external leave-request system. Communication includes news, events, reminders and announcements. The right mix depends on the organization.

Who it is for and what you need

This approach is for people planning a SharePoint intranet homepage and the stakeholders who need to review it. The demonstration does not specify a SharePoint role, license, plan, prerequisite, rollout stage or region. It also does not describe a new SharePoint feature or setting; the wireframe is a planning technique.

PowerPoint is the tool used in the example, and the wireframe is intentionally simple. You do not need a graphic-design tool or a polished mockup to begin discussing page structure. The proposed layout can change as people agree on which content belongs on the homepage.

Before settling on a design, consider what the organization can actually publish and maintain. A homepage area is only useful if its content stays current. The transcript warns that a large news area can keep showing old stories when the organization cannot produce enough new ones.

How it works

Begin with the homepage’s purpose: decide what employees should find or understand when they arrive. Then sketch the major areas with basic boxes in PowerPoint. The example treats the page as a rough layout rather than a scaled, finished design.

1. Draw a secondary content area on the right side. Add labeled boxes for possible items such as useful links, world clocks, a countdown timer or an employee survey.
2. List examples of useful links that matter to employees, such as leave requests, expense requests, payroll or employee benefits. These can point to internal SharePoint resources or external systems.
3. Place a news carousel on the left as a communication area. Decide whether that prominent space is appropriate for the news the organization can keep fresh.
4. Add three boxes below the carousel for high-priority destinations. The demonstration uses policies, procedures and training materials as example labels.
5. Sketch a lower news roll-up for department news. Check with departments about how much news they expect to create and where it will come from.
6. Share the rough layout with stakeholders. Ask whether the sections make sense and which links employees need quick access to, then revise the boxes before moving to the SharePoint site.

These labels are examples, not a required homepage recipe. An organization might choose other destinations or secondary content. The wireframe’s value is that those choices can be discussed before the team commits to implementation.

Limitations and open questions

A wireframe does not establish that every suggested item should be built, nor does it describe how to configure a SharePoint web part. The demonstration mentions news web parts and a carousel as layout ideas, but does not give implementation steps, configuration options or a specific SharePoint page-building path.

Content capacity is a practical constraint. For example, if a homepage is set up to show 12 news articles but the team can publish only one a month, old stories may remain visible for a long time. That can make the intranet feel stale. The lesson is to match the planned volume of news to a realistic publishing and maintenance schedule.

The example focuses on one homepage and does not set out a complete information architecture, navigation hierarchy, site structure or governance plan. It also does not specify how to test the finished experience with employees. Teams should treat the sketch as an early discussion aid, not as a final design specification.

Sources

• Dougie Wood [MVP] demonstration of SharePoint intranet wireframing

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a SharePoint intranet wireframe in PowerPoint?

Yes. The demonstrated approach uses simple PowerPoint shapes and labels to sketch homepage sections before building the SharePoint site.

What should go on a SharePoint intranet homepage?

The example balances navigation, such as policies and useful links, with communication, such as news. The right mix depends on the organization and the content it can maintain.

How much news should a SharePoint homepage show?

Plan for the amount of news the organization can publish and keep current. A large news area can keep showing old stories if new content is infrequent.

Does making a wireframe require a special SharePoint license?

The material does not state a license requirement. The demonstrated wireframe is made in PowerPoint, and it does not describe a SharePoint feature or setting.