User-Context Analysis and User Interface Design for the European Patent Office

Inquiries at the European Patent Office – The daily work of a patent office employee

Everyday, the employees of the European Patent Office are swamped with inquiries. For the verification of these inquiries and the decision whether a patent application can be accepted, they rely on efficient research and document management.

In collaboration with the Dutch usability company Meru-Team, employees of User Interface Design GmbH (UID) visited the European Patent Office at Den Haag and Munich and carefully observed the everyday work of the employees. Every day, they were facing a jungle of different DOS-based applications, which required standardization and easier access. The results of this use context analysis were decisive for the design of the navigation and interaction concept. User-guided walkthroughs and usability tests refined the concept.

Meanwhile, the new concept has proven successful and facilitates faster processing of patent applications. This is not only something the employees can benefit from, but also evey EU citizen applying for a European patent.

Project from 2002