Let’s get acquainted

Hello! I am Dono, a fourth-year Government, Policy, and Society student. In my role as Green Digital Design Intern on the UX team, I work on projects that integrate user-centred design and sustainable digital practices, with the goal of helping the University meet its net-zero targets by 2040.

In November, I took over from the previous intern, Zbigniew Kanabrodzki, and began working with Edinburgh Innovations on their website. My first project focused on improving the Inventions and Intellectual Property pages, as Edinburgh Innovations wanted these pages to be more user-friendly, impactful, and supportive. This project required me to think carefully about who the digital content was for, rather than approaching it from an institutional or insider perspective. While Edinburgh Innovations works daily with intellectual property and commercialisation, many of its users, particularly early-career researchers, may be encountering these processes for the first time. This shift in perspective became central to how I approached the work.

Identifying the focus: why the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page matters

Following an initial consultation with Edinburgh Innovations, we identified the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page as a key starting point for improvement. This page is one of the most important entry points for new users, particularly academics and researchers who may be unfamiliar with Edinburgh Innovations and are exploring how to commercialise their research.

Reflecting on this, it became clear that the page plays a significant role in shaping first impressions. For a first-time user, the clarity of language, structure, and tone can influence whether they feel confident and supported, or confused and overwhelmed. This raised important questions about assumptions embedded within the content, such as whether users are expected to understand acronyms, internal processes, or technical terminology.

Auditing the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page from a user perspective

I began by auditing the existing Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page from the perspective of researchers and academics, especially those encountering Edinburgh Innovations for the first time. Rather than assessing the content purely on completeness, I focused on how it might be experienced by someone unfamiliar with IP or commercialisation. I guided the audit using the following UX-focused questions:

• How easily can users locate the information they are looking for?
• Does the page support users who may not be familiar with intellectual property or commercialisation terminology?
• Are acronyms and technical terms clearly explained, or are users expected to already know them?
• How does the structure affect readability and focus, particularly for users scanning rather than reading in full?
• Are there opportunities to reduce cognitive load while still providing comprehensive information?

One of the key observations was that the content was quite dense and text-heavy. While the information was informative and accurate, presenting it in smaller, more digestible sections could make it easier for users to navigate and engage with. From a user-centred perspective, breaking up the content in this way can help reduce cognitive load, particularly for users who may be encountering innovation or legal processes for the first time.

This stage of the audit also prompted broader reflections about content governance. Questions emerged such as: How was the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page originally created? Were the questions based on real user queries, or internal assumptions? Is this information duplicated elsewhere on the site, and if so, does it remain consistent? These considerations highlighted that UX work often extends beyond design into content strategy and organisational practices.

Exploring design solutions with sustainability in mind

To address these challenges, I explored design approaches that could improve clarity and usability while remaining aligned with sustainable digital design principles. Rather than adding new content or visual complexity, the focus was on restructuring existing information to make it more accessible.

I developed two alternative design options using accordion-style content. This approach allows users to engage with the page progressively, expanding only the sections relevant to them. From a user perspective, this reduces visual overload and supports scanning behaviours. From a sustainability perspective, it encourages purposeful interaction rather than unnecessary scrolling and repeated page visits.

Both options were documented on a Miro board, where I worked closely with Katie Spearman (Content Design Assistant) to run a structured brainstorming session. Together, we:

• Mapped the current state of the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page
• Identified pain points from a first-time user perspective
• Considered where language could be simplified or clarified
• Analysed the advantages and disadvantages of each accordion option
• Made detailed suggestions around content hierarchy, ordering, and clarity

This collaborative process ensured that design decisions were grounded in user needs while remaining realistic within the organisational and technical context.

Prototyping and technical exploration

In parallel with the design exploration, I implemented both design options on my training site in EdWeb 2 to demonstrate how they would function on a live page. Viewing the designs in context helped surface practical considerations, such as how easily users could locate key questions and whether the structure supported intuitive navigation.

Consultation, feedback, and preparing for user testing

Following a further consultation with Edinburgh Innovations Ben Gracey (Digital Marketing Manager), we reviewed the proposed design options and agreed on a direction to take forward. My manager, Emma Horrell (User Experience Manager), guided me throughout this process, providing feedback and advice to ensure that design decisions aligned with both user needs and organisational priorities. In addition, feedback from Effortmark, a consultancy that advises the team, helped validate several of the reflective questions raised during the audit stage. In particular, their feedback reinforced the importance of avoiding duplicated content, clearly defining terminology, and ensuring that FAQ questions are grounded in real user needs rather than assumptions.

Building on this, in February we will host three user testing sessions to evaluate the selected design. These sessions will involve:

• Researchers with no prior knowledge of Edinburgh Innovations
• Participants from different academic schools and disciplinary backgrounds

The aim is to observe how users interact with the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page as a first point of contact. Insights from these sessions will directly inform further improvements to the Inventions and Intellectual Property pages.

Reflections

This case study demonstrates how user-centred design, sustainability thinking, and stakeholder collaboration can work together to improve digital experiences. By prioritising user experience while keeping digital sustainability in mind, the project sought to create content that is clear and accessible for diverse audiences.

By viewing the Inventions and Intellectual Property FAQ page from the perspective of first time users and considering language, structure, and content origins, the work moved beyond surface level design changes. The auditing and prototyping carried out to date has helped surface key assumptions and hypotheses about how different academic audiences might navigate and interpret the content. As the project moves into phase two, planned user testing will be essential in exploring these assumptions further, revealing which design decisions resonate with users, which require refinement, and how the page can continue to evolve in line with Edinburgh Innovations’ ongoing efforts to support researchers across the University.