In the context of an internal SharePoint solution I think that branding, in any more detail than basic colour and logo could be considered as a waste of investment.
I question whether an organisation can justify the investment required for awesome branding based upon the following questions:
- Does it help the organisation move towards its vision?
- What is the ROI of the branding work?
- Does the branding deliver clear and measurable business value?
- Does branding support and encourage user adoption?
Discuss….
Does branding help the org move towards its vision? – it doesn’t hurt.
ROI of the branding work? – is this about SharePoint being hard work to brand? Agreed! But seriously, if the users are unhappy with the fugly standard look then they are going to resist using it. If that happens then the ROI of your project is at risk. Rationally I’d agree that a business tool does not need to look good to function well. But we are human, we love art and beauty, and drive pretty rather than functional cars.
Clear and measurable business value? Not easy to measure. But similar to your ROI question.
Support and encourage user adoption? Yes, to the extent the users believe in the brand!
