Intranets, the private networks within organizations, have for decades been the backbone of corporate communication. Serving as internal portals for employees, they’ve provided access to essential documents, company news, team directories, and more.

With the technology progressing, our expectations have increased as well. Static pages and simple text-based content no longer suffice. People these days expect their workplace tools to be intuitive and vibrant.

Addressing this, SharePoint Solutions introduced a groundbreaking feature: SharePoint Spaces. This intranet is not just informative but also offers an immersive experience into the world of an alternate reality.

This blog will delve into the insights of SharePoint Spaces, exploring how businesses can use it to communicate and collaborate for their future prospects.

What is SharePoint Spaces?

SharePoint Spaces is a feature within SharePoint Development that allows users to create and view immersive 3D and mixed-reality experiences, enhancing digital collaboration and content interaction within an organization's intranet.

Let's delve deeper into its standout features:

# 3D Visualizations

The charm of 3D visualization is its ability to offer depth, perspective, and tangibility. Within SharePoint Spaces, this means that static data or product blueprints can come alive. For instance, a company launching a new product can create a 3D model, allowing stakeholders to view it from every angle, zoom in on details, or even witness how it works—all within their intranet.

# Mixed Reality Integration

While 3D opens the door to immersive visuals, mixed reality takes it a notch higher by melding the digital with the real. Imagine an employee wearing a mixed-reality headset, engaging with a 3D model of a product, and simultaneously viewing its real-world application through video integration. This confluence of the virtual and tangible worlds within SharePoint Spaces provides a richer, more contextual understanding of content.

# User Interactivity

The essence of SharePoint Spaces lies not just in what users can see, but also in how they can engage. Hand gestures can rotate or move a 3D model, a specific gaze can prompt additional information pop-ups, and voice commands can navigate through the space or initiate actions. This heightened level of interactivity ensures that users aren't merely passive viewers but are actively involved, leading to better retention and engagement.

The Value of Immersive Experiences in Intranets

Immersive experiences, like those offered by SharePoint Spaces, are ushering in a new era of digital interaction, one that promises more than just information— it promises engagement, collaboration, and inspiration. Let's delve deeper into the profound value these experiences bring to intranets:

# Enhanced Engagement

Traditional intranets often follow a linear, text-heavy format. While efficient, they rarely excite or inspire users. Immersive experiences change the game. By creating a 3D environment that users can explore and interact with, organizations can captivate their audience in unprecedented ways.

• Attention Retention: With the deluge of information we process daily, capturing and retaining an individual's attention is challenging. Immersive experiences, with their dynamic visuals and interactivity, ensure users are not just looking but are deeply engaged, leading to better retention and understanding.
• Encouraging Exploration: A 3D environment promotes curiosity. Users aren't just looking for a specific document; they're exploring, discovering, and learning organically, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

# Boosted Collaboration

The modern workplace often spans cities, countries, and even continents. Immersive experiences break down geographical barriers, enabling teams to work together in virtual spaces as if they were in the same room.

• Real-time Interaction: In a 3D collaborative space, teams can interact with digital assets in real time, making brainstorming, project planning, or design work more fluid and intuitive.
• Holistic Understanding: When teams collaborate in an immersive environment, they're not just sharing data; they're sharing context, leading to a deeper, holistic understanding of projects and objectives.

# Revolutionized Training

Onboarding and training processes are critical for an organization's success. Immersive intranets provide tools that transform these processes from mundane tasks to engaging learning experiences.

• Virtual Tours: Instead of reading about a company's history or facilities, new employees can take guided virtual tours, familiarizing themselves in a more memorable and engaging manner.
• Interactive Learning Modules: Traditional training often involves long documents or videos. With immersive experiences, complex topics can be broken down into interactive modules, allowing employees to learn by doing, leading to better skill retention.
• Process Visualization: Understanding complex processes becomes easier when you can see and interact with them in a 3D space. This is especially valuable for industries like manufacturing, where visualizing a production line can aid comprehension.

Getting Started with ShareSpaces

SharePoint Customization Services has ensured a user-friendly entry point for all. Let's journey through a simple roadmap to getting started:

# System Requirements

To embark on the SharePoint Spaces journey, the first thing to ensure is that you're utilizing SharePoint Online. This is the platform version that supports the Spaces feature. Next, you'll want to be working on a relatively modern computer equipped with a proficient graphics card to ensure that the 3D visuals render seamlessly.

Lastly, the browser you use plays a role too. Popular choices such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge are ideal as they support WebGL, which is crucial for the 3D rendering integral to SharePoint Spaces.

# Configuration

Once you've ensured your system is ready, head over to the SharePoint Admin Center. This is your command centre for all things SharePoint Integration, and here, you will need to actively enable the Spaces feature. After this step, every time you proceed to add new content to your SharePoint site, a new option labelled "Spaces" should be visible.

# Crafting Your First Space

SharePoint Collaboration Platform Development has various templates to make your creation process easier. It has a user-friendly interface, which allows you to drag and drop 3D objects, and blend them against different backgrounds. To make your space truly engaging, consider adding interactive elements. Whether it's hotspots that reveal more information or integrated videos that offer deeper insights, these elements can elevate the user experience.

Crafting Spaces: Best Practices

Creating immersive environments within SharePoint Spaces is an exciting endeavour, but as with any form of design, it's essential to approach it with a methodical strategy. Here are some best practices to guide your space design:

# Plan Ahead

Before you delve into design specifics, begin with a clear understanding of the space's purpose. Are you creating an environment tailored for training sessions, an avenue for business communication, or a collaborative hub for project teams? Establishing the intent at the outset ensures that every design decision you make aligns with this purpose. For instance, a space meant for training might prioritize interactive modules, while one intended for communication might focus on multimedia presentations.

# Leverage Templates

If you want to start on your design quickly, the templates offered by SharePoint Solutions are a great way to get started. However, while templates can streamline your design phase, remember to customize them. Personalize these spaces to reflect your brand's identity or the unique needs of your audience.

# Prioritize Accessibility

In today's digital world, acceptability is essential. It's important to make your environment accessible and used by all people, especially those with physical limitations. This could mean integrating voice commands for those who can't use traditional navigation methods, adding subtitles to any integrated videos, or ensuring colour contrasts are sharp enough to be seen by visually impaired users. Designing with accessibility in mind not only broadens your audience but also aligns with ethical design practices.

# Intuitive Navigation

Many users, especially those who are not used to working with such interfaces, may find 3D and immersive surroundings to be too much to handle. It's essential to ensure that navigation is intuitive. Whether it's clearly labelled areas, simple hand gestures for mixed reality users, or a map or guide, users should always have a clear sense of where they are and how to get to where they want to go. Avoiding overcomplicated designs and ensuring there's a logical flow will ensure users don't feel "lost" in the virtual environment you've crafted.

Conclusion

Venturing into new technological terrains is often accompanied by a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation. SharePoint Spaces, despite its transformative potential, is no exception to this rule. As organizations navigate this new territory, they might encounter several challenges like technical glitches, user resistance or even security concerns. While the journey might be dotted with challenges, they are by no means insurmountable. With the right blend of preparation, training, and security vigilance, organizations can unlock the platform's full potential.

Call us at 484-892-5713 or Contact Us today to know more details about the modernizing your intranet with SharePoint spaces.