I am usually more interested in the human, conversational, networking, learning side of KM than the technology (I’ve seen too many people think the answer to their lack of knowledge sharing culture is a new bit of tech) but I do recognise the importance of well-built tools for information and knowledge storage and retrieval, and collaboration/conversation when people can’t meet in person.

After all, what is the point of identifying and capturing lots of lessons learned, new knowledge and sleek processes and checklists, if the interface of your Knowledge database makes your people want to weep (and not with joy…)?

And what is the point of saving time through efficiencies in work processes and standardised procedures, if your people then just waste that time in grappling with your platforms?

I realise that you are unlikely, as a law firm KMer, to be designing these systems yourself, but these articles on how to improve those interfaces (whatever technology you use) and make them more user-friendly, will hopefully help you when interacting with your tech-savvy colleagues.

• 10 tips for building the perfect SharePoint intranet
• A selection of relevant courses on Coursera
• User interface design basics
• User-friendly database interface design – a collection of articles via Slideshare
• 10 common database design mistakes
• Another reason why your KM database may not be working

Maybe you could have a look at your various Knowledge interfaces with fresh eyes and see if they could be improved?

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