SharePoint Site Architecture: Dept vs Project vs Function Sites for Intuitive Navigation & Permissions
IT admins lack a decision framework for structuring SharePoint sites (departments, projects, functions, or hubs) that balances discoverability, save locations, and least-privilege permissions. Ad-hoc site proliferation creates siloed content, permission sprawl, and endless 'where do I save this?' tickets. A validated architecture pattern would cut support tickets by 50%, enforce governance, and make the intranet a daily tool.
Key Pain Points
- No decision matrix for site types (dept/team sites vs project sites vs function hubs)
- Permission inheritance gaps forcing manual site-by-site access reviews
- Missing hub-site navigation patterns to unify search and save locations across silos
- Absence of lifecycle policies to archive inactive project sites and prevent sprawl
Original Member Input
"I really struggle to design my sharepoint sites in a way that makes sense to the end user so they can find stuff. I don't know whether to create sites for departments, projects or job functions or something else. Our users always moan they can't find stuff and they never know where to save. I also worry about having users see content they shouldn't see."