Worldwide Patent Search
Rebuilding Espacenet, the EPO's free search platform for over 100 million patent documents, from concept to launch.
- Client
- European Patent Office
- Services
- Service design, end-to-end product, research & design
- Year
- 2017 – 2019
Objective
The European Patent Office tasked me with delivering a SaaS software solution from scratch for their worldwide patent search platform, taking it from initial concept to live launch. Using design thinking methodology, I placed users at the heart of the platform’s revamp. After the launch, I continued to improve the platform based on user feedback, ensuring it met the evolving needs of users across 38 European member states while aligning with business objectives.
As a Senior Product Designer, I played a key role rebuilding the new Worldwide Patent Search SaaS.
Project brief
Espacenet provides free access to over 100 million patent documents. Updated in 2004, the UX had not been reviewed since then. The main goals were:
- Update the interface: make it more intuitive and visually appealing.
- Ensure responsiveness: optimise for desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
- Maintain speed and functionality: keep the platform fast while preserving its advanced capabilities.
- User-centred design: understand how users interact with the product to create a more tailored experience.
Applying the design thinking methodology
After gathering all the requirements from the various stakeholders, I began mapping out the main sections of the software using wireframes.
One of the major issues with the old software was navigating between the results list and patent details. Another challenge was providing users with options to filter their results and refine their searches using a query builder. I demoed these solutions to stakeholders, UX colleagues and search experts. Together, we selected two or three proposals for prototyping, which I later presented to users via WebEx.
The poll results guided us toward solutions that we continually refined based on user feedback.
The solution
Try the live Espacenet search →
The design phase
During the design phase, I collaborated with the Corporate Identity department in Munich. At the time, the EPO did not have a finalised style guide in place, so I had to create one from scratch. Below are examples of the specified components.
Specify, implement, iterate
Client feedback
I am representing the Business for several products including new Espacenet. In this function I have worked very closely (several hours per day) together with Agathe Gelin, who was responsible for the user design and UX development of the new Espacenet interface.
Working with Ms Gelin has been a great experience, she is absolutely reliable, self-motivated and does not hesitate to take over additional tasks and responsibilities when needed. Over a long period she went from early to late the extra mile, working overtime helping the team to meet its targets and helping to keep the team together.
She drafted the user stories, designed user satisfaction surveys and usability sessions that we conducted with all kinds of target groups (from beginners to patenting experts).
Astounding was her ability to grasp complex models and get in a short period of time an in depth understanding of patent information. At the same time she is very close to modern user groups and understands very well, what different target groups might need. Her ability to transform complex data-structures into a design that is understandable has made new Espacenet a great success.
She happily developed different approaches to select the best fitting ones according to the user consultation. She designed, led own usability sessions and documented others. She was very useful in interpreting the results in such way the clear recommendations could be drawn and concrete steps could be taken to implement the findings from the user consultation.
She represented the EPO on stands and on trade fairs and conferences in a very professional, eloquent and friendly way.
Ms Gelin was a great support in bridging the gap between patent information in Vienna and the software developers, since she understood very well the requirements of both stakeholders. With her outstanding communication skills she smoothened potential frictions and found common approaches helping to reach the targets. It was always great to discuss new approaches with her, since she would easily spot weaknesses, make improvements and agree to common solutions.
She managed also other stakeholders very well e.g. finding a common ground with the Communication Services e.g. to aligning the Espacenet style guide with the EPO style guide, but also pushing for own solutions (e.g. colour fields), where the webpage style guide was simply not good enough for the application. She analysed weaknesses in the accessibility of the application and managed to implement the accessibility criteria according to the accessibility guidelines W3C. She never got tired to propose new design variations or easier ways to show effectively the data outcomes.
In conclusion I have to say that Agathe Gelin has contributed immensely to the success of new Espacenet and her handwriting in terms of great design, slick usability and style is everywhere in this product and she can be very proud of that.
