Defining a group architecture and a taxonomy

The launch of a collaborative platform in an organization will gradually lead to the creation of a large number of groups. These could include project groups, service groups, groups about professions or functions, thematic groups, etc. Quickly and naturally, your platform will host tens or even hundreds of groups.

To help users navigate through all of these groups and locate them more easily, it’s good practice to adopt a simple naming rule and to make it known through a usage charter or list of ‘best practices’ if you delegate the creation of groups to users. For example, start each project group with the prefix “P -” followed by the name of the project or each announcement group with “News -” followed by the name of the place or group for which you are posting. This method will make your groups be ordered more clearly through the menu.

If you have delegated group creation to users, it will be important to pay attention to newly created groups. Use 1-1 chats to request a possible renaming of a group and to do a little coaching to inform about good practices regarding the launch of new groups.

Since nature loathes emptiness, these little tricks will help you in the long run to build a clearer and more coherent information architecture. Don’t hesitate to revise your rules or enhance them with new ones by integrating feedback and user suggestions.

Actions to be taken:

• Define a taxonomy for the groups and inform users about it through a charter of use or a memo (practice as often as necessary)
• Coaching group managers as they create new groups

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This article is part of a series focusing on to the best practices to be adopted for the launch and implementation of a collaborative platform or private social network within a company or organisation.