Intranet Design!?

Hello, i’m new!
I currently work as an Intranet Developer/Designer…and i have a problem…because it’s my first job working with INTRANET’s and it’s somewhat complicated. My boss, wants me to be creative, and change stuff around, yet he insists i keep the icons (19 of them to be exact) because the emplyees at this organization have truble finding this…if i were to design a menu with sub-menus so would remove all the icons from the screen. Over-all i need some guidance…anyone everworked with or currently does work with INTRANETS could please give me some helpful advice to a newbie…what are things i should be looking for and what should be expected from an INTRANET…examples would be helpful…!!!

-AlBERT

well first of all start making a flowchart of how the intranet will be designed with all the subsections adn whatnot, after you have accomplished this then worry about the design, the most important part is the flowchart so you know what links with what and the whole navigation system.