A User and Customer-Centered USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is the reference source for data related to those specific types of intellectual property. The USPTO has been making slow and steady progress towards providing more usable and efficient services for its information consumers. Back in 2011, I described the Office’s efforts to increase transparency by creating a

Since then, the Office has been improving the user experience of USPTO.gov. The site was redesigned in 2015 to be more user, device, and developer friendly, including an open source design library hosted on GitHub. This redesign was underway prior to the publication of the

“incorporate user-centered design methodologies and use agile development, which requires constant interface with the public and our employees during development to get their perspectives as early as possible to shape technology products.”

It’s been encouraging to see the Office make user experience a priority that has demonstrable follow-through. Although I’d like to see improvements in the patent search and analysis capabilities offered via the site. The redesign did not update the very dated appearance of the search tools, which provide only rudimentary functionality (i.e., keyword searches). While professionals have access to more robust third-party tools, many individuals and organizations rely on the USPTO site for research. The addition of relatively basic features including keyword-based notifications, saved searches, and improved document viewing and management would be highly valued.

Of course, user-centered design is an iterative process, and as of this writing, the draft of the subsequent USPTO 2018–2022 Strategic Plan is available for review and feedback. Again user experience falls under one of the strategic objectives, but now focused more on functionality, rather than process:

“We will also enhance IT interfaces that will enable our patent customers to better complete their work and interact with the USPTO. For example, this could entail the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning efforts. Another key initiative that will enhance the work capabilities of both employees and customers is to improve searchable (text) access to domestic and international patent applications, including access to non-patent literature/prior art and Office actions.”

Notably, the new plan also references customer experience 20 times, a phrase that doesn’t even appear once in the predecessor plan. The draft states that the USPTO will make efforts to understand it’s customers journeys:

“by taking steps to better understand their interactions with our organization from beginning to end, create an organization-wide shared vision to best serve each customer’s needs.”

The USPTO’s newfound emphasis on customer experience is encouraging. Perhaps even more significant is the Office’s recognition of the need to address both the holistic customer experience approach and the more tactical user experience. This differentiation reflects a level of appreciation and enlightenment that many corporate organizations still lack.