Grid Design15% of the exam
Knowledge networks and discovery inputs to grid design
How discovery findings (organization size, existing workspaces, knowledge networks, culture, regulatory separation and mergers) turn into the first Enterprise org design, answering the four basic grid questions and ending in two or three options.
Leverage discovery outputs to inform initial grid design recommendations.
~8 min read · 11 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- State the four questions every grid design answers: how many workspaces, the purpose of each, who can access each, and how members work across them.
- Name the four core discovery considerations (organization structure and size, existing Slack workspaces and usage, existing knowledge networks, cultural dynamics) and what each one informs.
- Choose surveys or focus groups to map real knowledge networks, and group teams that collaborate daily even when that cuts across the org chart.
- Translate findings such as ad hoc project workspaces, merging business units, separate admin processes or a regulated division into a workspace recommendation.
- Know the next step after discovery: draft two or three options with benefits, considerations and a recommendation.
Key terms:
- Grid design: the series of decisions about workspaces, channels and settings that shapes how members work in an Enterprise organization (Enterprise Grid or Enterprise+ plan).
- Workspace: a hub of channels that groups people, channels and apps; in an Enterprise org many workspaces connect under one org.
- Knowledge network: the real pattern of who shares information with whom, which may not match the org chart.
- Primary workspace: the workspace where a member does most of their work.
Key facts
The four grid questions
- Detail
- How many workspaces, purpose of each, who has access, how members work across them
Knowledge networks inform
- Detail
- The grid model and policies on workspace and channel creation
Mapping knowledge networks
- Detail
- Ask people who know how work happens; survey or focus group if time allows
Org chart
- Detail
- The design need not match it; frequent collaborators share a workspace
Moving a channel
- Detail
- Requires Workspace Owner or Admin on both original and destination workspaces
Separate workspace justified by
- Detail
- Strong regulatory or data separation, e.g. government contracts, M&A, subsidiaries
Output of discovery
- Detail
- Two or three options with benefits, considerations and a recommendation
Sources for this section (6)
- Discover Slack Enterprise Grid Designtrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Design Workspaces on Enterprise Gridtrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Compare Grid Design Modelstrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Manage a workspace in an Enterprise organizationslack.com (opens in a new tab)
- Consider Alternatives for Workspace Designtrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Create Grid Design Optionstrailhead.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Which four questions does a grid design answer at the most basic level?
- Why is an HR department list a poor input for workspace boundaries?
- When does a discovery finding justify a separate workspace?
- What does the consultant produce right after discovery?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Slack Consultant pack
- Core concepts
- Exam traps
- Worked scenario
The pack includes:
- All 38 lessons of the Slack Consultant guide, with reading progress
- Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
- Inline practice questions and one-click topic practice (11 questions for this lesson)
- An official source cited for every claim
- An AI tutor that answers from the guide
- Unlimited timed practice exams