Information Architecture in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams – Quick Tipps for End Users

Enabling employees to get the most out of Microsoft Teams, I want to show a few quick tips to help the end user get along better. Advanced Use cases are also available on my blog.

Tip 2: How to understand Teams, Channels and Threads

Because many employees urgently "need" teams, but don't know exactly what and how to work with it, I see at many of my customers how the number of Teams is increasing dramatically. Does that really have to be? Today in Tip 2, I'll show you how to structure the information in Microsoft Teams. In Tip 3, there's even more clarity about chats.

As shown in Tip 1, a Team is like a floor of a house. I’ve mentioned the example of a separate department with different colleagues and their responsibilities that we can structure into channels. In the channels (main topic) the subtopics are discussed via conversations/threads.

In the screenshot, you can see even more examples, how the concept of teams, their channels, and conversations work. Such as.:

Department X

• General
• Knowledge Exchange
• Management area (Private Channel)
• Processes
• Vacation and fun

Class 7-A

• General
• English
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Singing
• Teacher Area (Private Channel)

Event Planning

• General
• Attendee management
• Budget Planning
• Catering
• Location Planning
• ·        Location 1
• ·        Location 2
• ·        Location 3

Hopefully, the structure of information will become clear now. Ask yourself, do you really need a new Team? Or is a new channel enough? Or is even a new sub-topic sufficient? Perhaps a chat is also suitable instead of a new Team, see Tip 3.

Two more things for conversations/threads:

Pro Tip 1: Always answer to an existing subtopic in the corresponding Text box, do not start any new topic!

Pro Tip 2: Always add a subject for a new subtopic! This goes through the "A with brush"-icon under the text box. Subtopics are then easier to find.

Team up!

Further Tips:

• Tip 1: Structure of Microsoft Teams
• Tip 2: Information Architecture in Microsoft Teams
• Tip 3: Threats vs. Chats in Microsoft Teams
• Tip 4: Stay up to date with Microsoft Teams
• Tip 5: Search and Find in Microsoft Teams

Deutsche Versionen auf meinem Blog:

• Tipp 1: Aufbau von Microsoft Teams
• Tipp 2: Informationsstruktur in Microsoft Teams
• Tipp 3: Unterhaltungen und Chats in Microsoft Teams
• Tipp 4: Auf dem Laufenden bleiben mit Microsoft Teams
• Tipp 5: Suchen und Finden in Microsoft Teams