Global Architecture

Lenovo HR Knowledge Base

Redesigned a legacy HR intranet into a scalable global knowledge base, improving document findability, regional localization, and support visibility for Lenovo teams worldwide.

Disclaimer: All data presented in these case studies has been generated for illustrative purposes only and does not represent actual company data.

Lenovo HR Knowledge Base dashboard interface
The Challenge

Scaling a Legacy Intranet for Global Complexity

The HR knowledge base was over a decade old and no longer matched Lenovo's global operating model. Navigation was crowded, search quality was inconsistent, and regional requirements had outgrown the existing horizontal menu system. Teams needed a structure that could scale without sacrificing usability.

Role

UX/UI Design Contractor

Timeline

2016

Objective

Improve findability, support localization, and modernize information architecture

Tools

Moqups, Card sorting, Stakeholder workshops, Lenovo brand system

Research

Designing for Employees and HR Service Teams

Primary User Profile

Lenovo employees and the HR Service Center (HRSC) teams across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific regions.

  • Goal: Find region-specific HR policies quickly and resolve support needs without navigation friction.
  • Pain Point: Legacy IA and weak search made routine tasks slow, especially across regions.
  • Need: A localized portal with reliable search and integrated case visibility.
Lenovo research ideation artifact
Infrastructure

Connecting Search, Content, and Support

The new ecosystem combined weighted search with Dovetail Help Desk integration, allowing users to find content and track open cases from one portal. Delivery required close coordination with distributed engineering teams across Salt Lake City and Singapore.

Lenovo HR portal sitemap and ecosystem structure
Architecture

Structural Organization

To support regional growth, I transitioned top-level navigation from horizontal to vertical architecture. This created the space needed for role-based and location-specific pathways while keeping the system predictable across markets.

Structure

Roles

    Lenovo employee role view architecture
    The Journey

    Phases of the Design Process

    01

    Discovery

    Collaborated with HRSC teams in Argentina, China, and Slovakia to run card sorting sessions and identify navigation pressure points.

    02

    Exploration

    Produced low-fidelity wireframes in Moqups and iterated through eight versions using global stakeholder and user feedback.

    03

    Validation

    Validated refined concepts with focus groups and secured multi-level stakeholder approval before final visual integration.

    Technical Rigor

    Design Standards

    The final product followed Lenovo brand standards for color, typography, and imagery, while accommodating localization requirements in regions such as China and Japan through tailored UI patterns.

    Localization

    Language toggles and market-specific documentation pathways aligned to regional HR policies.

    Metrics

    Integrated analytics for HRSC teams to track search behavior, content usage, and support demand trends.

    Lenovo branding and color specification reference
    Evolution

    From Wireframes to Production UI

    Lenovo low-fidelity architecture concept

    Early Low-Fidelity Wireframes

    Lenovo high-fidelity optimized architecture view

    High-Fidelity Experience

    The Outcome

    Business & User Impact

    Operational Transparency

    Dovetail integration gave employees direct visibility into case IDs and status updates from the HR landing page.

    Role-Based Logic

    Role-based and region-aware content delivery improved relevance for employees, managers, HR, and HRSC teams globally.

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