as for content, here is my company’s site for example:
top left - logo
top middle - box that drops down with “my links” that i can store favorites in
top right - stock quote, stock activity (up/down), clock, timezone
top bar = tabs: company home, hr/personal, workplace resources, internal group (ie, mine says Investment Bank)
right side of tab bar = employee directory search box, intranet search box, feedback link, site map link
left side links = group homepage, group wide resources, groupwide career center, resources & tools, other group sites, org charts, policies, partner sites
middle = group name header, group news box, business highlights and deals section, company in the news section
right = key resources quicklinks, group wide box (currently showing second quarter results and next management meeting info), group wide career options job (shownig links to rites of passage and development, recruitign, pay, benefits, more), 2 graphics for urgent messages (1 is the mid year update for europe happning july 26 and 1 is a link to quarterly earnings)
bottom = international times and dates (tokyo, hong kong, mumbai, london, sao paulo, new york) with a more time zones/weather link below.
baseline = text links… company home, privacy info, etc. and copyright notice and conditions.
as for developing: i recommend tables and SSI