What Step Two does

Step Two Designs Pty Ltd is a Sydney-headquartered, founder-led consulting firm (legal entity Step Two Designs Pty Ltd, operating since circa 2000) that advises organisations on digital employee experience (DEX), digital workplaces, and intranet strategy. Under Managing Director James Robertson — the most prolific author on intranet topics worldwide — the firm delivers project-based advisory engagements covering intranet strategy and design, SharePoint/M365 implementation, DEX strategy, and governance. Customer evidence spans financial services (Bank of Queensland), legal (Herbert Smith, Ashurst), education (QUT), healthcare (I-MED Radiology), energy (Roche), engineering (Beca, COWI), government (Ontario Public Service, 65,000 employees) and frontline-heavy retail (Burger King UK).

Step Two has no proprietary software platform. Its core technology and IP consist of vendor-agnostic methodologies and frameworks: the Intranet Roadmap (3rd edition, used by over 1,000 organisations globally), the Universal Model for SharePoint (four topology patterns: Asteroids, Solar System, Galaxy, Universe), the DEX Strategy Framework, and the Business Case Canvas. These are delivered as books, downloadable frameworks, and consulting engagements, supporting advisory work rather than a SaaS product.

The firm operates a multi-stream revenue model: (1) project-based consulting services, the primary revenue line; (2) recurring subscription revenue from the Step Two Forum, a paid professional community for intranet and DEX practitioners with tiered memberships from AU$2,650 to AU$10,250 per year; (3) one-time book sales (AU$18–34 per title) and annual Awards Show reports (AU$299) via a direct online store and Amazon paperback distribution; and (4) commercial brand-building channels including the annual Digital Employee Experience (DEX) conference in Sydney and the long-running Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards program (now in its 20th year). The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, no M&A history, and no app or software product.

Name

Step Two

Legal name

Step Two Designs Pty Ltd

Website

https://steptwo.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Step Two is a Sydney-based consultancy that advises enterprises on digital employee experience, intranets, and digital workplace strategy, supported by authored books, proprietary frameworks, an annual awards program, a paid practitioner community (Step Two Forum), and an annual DEX conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Workplace and Intranet Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Experience Monitoring & Management (DEX/DEM, AIOps for EUC) (BPAEAIAF)

Keywords

• Intranet consulting
• Digital workplace strategy
• Digital employee experience
• SharePoint governance advisory
• Knowledge management frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Advisory and consulting engagements for organizations establishing or improving digital workplaces, intranets, and digital employee experience strategies.
2. Forum Membership: Annual membership to the Step Two Forum providing access to interest groups, video library, peer networking, and workshops. Membership levels: Full (Individual/Team) and Online (Individual/Team).
3. Book Sales: Sale of intranet and digital workplace books including 'Essential intranets', 'Designing intranets', and bundles. Prices range from AU$18-$34 per book with bulk discounts available.
4. Awards Report Sales: Annual Intranet and Digital Workplace Showcase reports documenting award winners with case studies and screenshots. Priced at AU$299 with bundle options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Step Two is a management consultancy that helps organizations establish and sustain modern digital workplaces, intranets, and digital employee experience (DEX) programs. They deliver strategic advisory engagements, proprietary frameworks (Intranet Roadmap, Universal Model for SharePoint, DEX Strategy Framework), best-selling practitioner books, an annual Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards program, and operate the Step Two Forum—a paid professional community for intranet and digital workplace practitioners.

Product overview

Step Two is a consultancy specializing in digital employee experience (DEX), digital workplaces, and intranets with 25 years of experience. Their offerings combine consulting services with knowledge products including the Essential Intranets and Designing Intranets book library, the annual Intranet and Digital Workplace Showcase awards report, and free frameworks like the Universal Model for SharePoint and Intranet Roadmap. They also operate the Step Two Forum professional community and host an annual DEX conference. The company does not offer a software product but provides expertise, methodologies, and best-practice resources for organizations implementing digital workplace solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Two Forum: A professional community for intranet, digital workplace and digital employee experience practitioners offering interest groups, video library, peer networking, and in-person workshops.
• Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards

Products and services

• Intranet Consulting Services Expert advisory services covering intranet strategy and design, SharePoint and Microsoft 365 implementation, digital workplace strategy, and digital employee experience (DEX) program development for enterprise and mid-market organizations.
• Step Two Forum Membership Annual membership program for intranet, digital workplace, and digital employee experience practitioners providing access to specialist interest groups, a video library, peer networking, and in-person workshops, with chapters in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
• Designing Intranets: Creating Sites That Work Best-selling 275-page practitioner book providing step-by-step methodology, user-centred design techniques, card sorting and tree testing methods, and real-world intranet case studies, sold as a paperback (including via Amazon) and digital edition.
• Essential Intranets: Inspiring Sites That Deliver Business Value Best-selling Step Two book offering inspiration and guidance on intranet projects through real-world examples of successful intranets that deliver tangible business value.
• Intranet and Digital Workplace Showcase (Awards Report) Annual report featuring case studies and screenshots from Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards winners, sold to practitioners seeking benchmark intranet examples.
• Universal Model for SharePoint Free downloadable PDF framework outlining four SharePoint topologies (Asteroids, Solar System, Galaxy, Universe) used by practitioners to design, structure, and govern SharePoint Online environments.
• Intranet Roadmap (3rd Edition) Free downloadable wallchart and checklist methodology covering five streams—strategy, design, content, change and communications, and technology—for intranet design or redesign projects; found on walls of over 1,000 organizations globally.
• Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Conference Annual in-person conference held in Sydney, Australia, focusing on digital employee experience, digital workplaces, and intranets, featuring workshops and industry best practice sessions.
• Business Case Canvas for DEX/Digital Workplace Downloadable PDF canvas framework helping teams clarify project proposals, resource needs, and expected benefits for digital employee experience, digital workplace, and intranet initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Intranet Roadmap used by over 1,000 organizations globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStep Two books (Essential intranets, Designing intranets) are available for purchase on Amazon.com in paperback format, providing additional distribution channel for book sales.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ClearBox Consulting: UK-based specialist intranet and digital workplace consultancy offering strategy, design, and governance advisory. Closely comparable to Step Two as a vendor-agnostic, thought-leadership-driven boutique with similar service offerings and target buyer (enterprise intranet teams).
• Real Story Group: Independent B2B research and advisory firm focused on digital workplace, intranet, and content management technologies. Comparable to Step Two in serving enterprise buyers with vendor-neutral evaluation, frameworks, and advisory engagements.
• Wedge Black: UK-based intranet and digital workplace consultancy focused on strategy, governance, and content design. Closely comparable specialist competitor to Step Two in the boutique advisory space, particularly for European clients.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen Norman Group: Established UX research and consulting firm with deep practitioner research and advisory offerings. Overlaps with Step Two on user-centered design methodology and intranet UX expertise but operates at a much larger scale and broader scope.
• Avanade: Large global SI jointly owned by Accenture and Microsoft with a dedicated digital workplace and intranet practice. Competes with Step Two on Microsoft 365/SharePoint intranet advisory and implementation, but at much larger enterprise scale.
• Unily: Digital employee experience platform vendor that also delivers strategy and implementation services. Adjacent competitor to Step Two's SharePoint and M365 advisory offering, particularly for enterprises evaluating platform-led deployments.
• Deloitte Digital: Global consulting arm of Deloitte with a digital workplace practice covering employee experience, collaboration platforms, and intranet transformation. Competes with Step Two for large enterprise mandates, typically at much higher price points and broader scope.
• Akumina: Digital workplace platform vendor that also provides strategy and deployment services. Adjacent to Step Two's DEX and intranet advisory work, particularly for clients on Microsoft 365 seeking a bundled platform-plus-advisory offering.
• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy with experience design and digital workplace capabilities. Overlaps with Step Two on intranet strategy and employee experience design but delivers with engineering teams and broader transformation mandates.
• Capgemini Invent: Digital innovation and transformation arm of Capgemini covering employee experience, future of work, and collaboration platforms. Competes with Step Two for enterprise DEX strategy engagements, especially within European and global accounts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steptwodesigns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/step-two
• Facebookfacebook.com/StepTwoIntranets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Step Two