From Clunky to Collaborative: How to Make SharePoint Work for Teams, Not Against Them

Practical steps to make SharePoint more user-friendly, intuitive, and aligned to how your people actually work 

What Is SharePoint and Why Do Teams Struggle With It? 

Microsoft SharePoint is a powerful platform designed for document management, collaboration, and intranet development. While it's widely used by organizations for its integration with Microsoft 365, many teams find SharePoint difficult to use or unintuitive out of the box. 

The problem isn’t the platform—it’s the implementation. Poor design, unclear navigation, and one-size-fits-all structures often get in the way of adoption. When SharePoint is set up without team input or usability in mind, it becomes a frustrating experience rather than a collaborative hub. 

Why SharePoint Usability Matters More Than Features 

A successful SharePoint environment does more than store documents. It enables employees to: 

• Find what they need quickly 
• Work together in real time 
• Share information securely 
• Reduce reliance on scattered tools like email or external drives 

If your SharePoint site feels clunky, it’s likely not aligned with how your teams actually operate. 

How to Make SharePoint More

Team-Friendly 

Here are six practical, scalable steps to turn SharePoint from a clunky interface into a collaborative workplace tool your teams will actually want to use.

Start with Team Workflows, Not Just IT Requirements

Before designing your site, talk to actual users. Understand how different departments—HR, Finance, Sales, Marketing, Operations—organize their work. 

Ask Users: 

• What are their most common tasks?

• What tools do they currently use?

• What’s difficult or time-consuming about accessing files or resources? 

This input should guide your structure. 

Simplify Navigation with Team-Specific Hubs

Break your SharePoint architecture into team-specific sites or hubs. Each should be customized around that team’s goals, language, and tools. 

Examples: 

• Marketing Hub: Campaign calendars, brand guidelines, content templates

• HR Hub: Policies, onboarding checklists, benefits documents

• Sales Hub: Proposal templates, battlecards, CRM dashboards 

This targeted design makes it easier for each department to work faster and stay aligned. 

Use Modern Pages, Not Classic Layouts

Modern SharePoint pages are more visual, responsive, and easier to edit. They support drag-and-drop layouts, integration with Microsoft Teams and Power BI, and a mobile-friendly experience. 

Migrating from classic SharePoint sites to modern ones can dramatically improve usability and design flexibility. 

Leverage Microsoft 365 Integrations

Integrate the tools your teams already use: 

• Teams: Embed chats or channels directly into SharePoint pages

• Planner: Manage team tasks and project timelines

• OneDrive: Ensure document syncing is seamless across platforms

• Power Automate: Reduce manual steps with automated workflows 

This creates a centralized digital workplace, not just a file repository. 

Design for Search and Findability

Even the best content is useless if employees can’t find it. Improve discoverability with: 

• Metadata tagging

• Clear folder naming conventions

• Custom search scopes

• Pinned frequently-used documents 

Use audience targeting to personalize content for specific departments or regions. 

Train, Launch, and Iterate

Don’t assume users will just figure it out. Offer micro-training, how-to videos, and onboarding guides tailored to specific roles or departments. 

After launch, gather feedback regularly and adjust based on real usage patterns. SharePoint should evolve as your teams grow and change. 

Business Benefits of a More Collaborative SharePoint 

When SharePoint is intuitive and team-focused, companies see: 

• Higher productivity from faster access to resources

• Fewer IT tickets related to navigation or permissions

• Increased collaboration across departments and geographies

• Less reliance on external or unauthorized tools

• Better documentation and knowledge management 

For growing organizations—especially those with regional offices across the U.S. (like in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Atlanta, or Denver)—a well-designed SharePoint environment bridges silos and supports scale. 

Ready to Make SharePoint Work

for Your Teams? 

SharePoint isn’t inherently difficult. But without thoughtful planning, it quickly becomes underused or misused. The key is to align SharePoint to how your teams actually work—by focusing on simplicity, structure, and culture. 

When done right, SharePoint becomes more than a document storage system. It becomes the foundation of your collaborative, modern workplace. 

We help organizations design SharePoint environments that are intuitive, scalable, and built around real user needs.