In today’s world, employees expect the same friction-free, intuitive experiences at work that they enjoy as consumers. But too often, the tools we use at work fall short — clunky systems, fragmented intranets, and disconnected platforms that make simple tasks feel unnecessarily hard.
That was the challenge the University of Leeds set out to solve. With more than 9,000 employees navigating a complex and outdated intranet, digital friction had become a real barrier to trust, clarity, and collaboration.
At People Lab, we’ve long championed the need to design workplace experiences with the same care and user-centric thinking that defines great consumer experiences. Our upcoming book, People-First Internal Communication (Kogan Page, 2025), explores how design principles such as simplicity, personalisation, and co-creation can transform how people connect and communicate at work.
Our sister company, The EX Space, is bringing these ideas to life in a new webinar — a practical case study in partnership with Silicon Reef and the University of Leeds.
A people-first approach to digital transformation
The session explores how the University’s Internal Comms and Digital Experience teams used design thinking to reimagine their digital workplace — turning a dated intranet into a vibrant, human-centred ecosystem employees actually want to use.
You’ll hear how adopting a People-First mindset helped them:
- Design workplace tools with the same usability and care as consumer-grade apps.
- Apply design-thinking techniques to shape IC and digital-experience projects.
- Co-create solutions that build trust, connection, and collaboration.
- Develop a roadmap for digital experiences fit for the AI-enabled future.
Meet the speakers
Alex Graves, Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at Silicon Reef, brings over a decade of experience in Microsoft 365 collaboration tools and a passion for helping organisations deliver better employee experiences through technology.
Learn more
Because when we design our digital workplaces around people — not platforms — the experience becomes not just easier, but far more meaningful.
