myUSPTO: Unifying Access with a Secure, Personalized SSO Platform

Vision, leadership, and innovation across security, accessibility, and scale

Starting Point

USPTO was shifting away from paper-era authentication toward a modern access model, but users still faced fragmented logins, inconsistent experiences, and limited visibility across systems. A unified entry point was needed to simplify access, improve security posture, and create a foundation for future tools.

• Multiple credentials and disjointed login flows across Patent and Trademark systems.
• Inconsistent UI patterns and accessibility gaps slowed task completion.
• Limited personalization and weak cross-app visibility for critical work items.
• Compliance considerations (FedRAMP, 508) were handled late, creating rework.

Vision & Objectives

Deliver a single, branded portal that balances security with usability—providing SSO, a personalized dashboard, and an extensible widget ecosystem that scales as new workflows and tools come online.

• Unify authentication with SSO while strengthening auditability.
• Establish a personalized dashboard as the command center for tasks, alerts, and case status.
• Create a modular widget framework to accelerate future capabilities.
• Build accessibility and compliance into the design system from the start.

Leadership Moves

• Align stakeholders early: Facilitated interviews, workshops, and SME whiteboarding to surface pain points and define shared priorities across groups.
• Set a clear north star: Created journey maps and access diagrams to articulate “one portal, many roles,” guiding dashboard and widget strategy.
• Bake in compliance: Embedded FedRAMP and WCAG/508 requirements into patterns, reviews, and handoffs so compliance became continuous.

Innovation in Action

• Discovery & Research: Mapped authentication flows and role needs across Patent and Trademark; identified high‑value dashboard widgets.
• Definition & Prioritization: Structured a roadmap focusing on Docket, Alerts, Tasks, and Case Status as initial widgets with role-aware behaviors.
• Prototyping & Testing: Built Axure prototypes for SSO, personalization, and widgets; iterated via device‑wide stakeholder walkthroughs and usability checks.
• Systemization: Established an accessible design system and documentation to ensure consistency and accelerate future extensions.

Key Solutions

• myUSPTO SSO Portal: A unified, secure login with a personalized landing experience that centralizes access to tools and information.
• Modular Widget Ecosystem: Docket, Alerts, Task Manager, and Case Status widgets designed as plug‑and‑play, role‑aware modules for rapid expansion.
• Accessibility & Security by Design: Patterns and reviews aligned to FedRAMP and WCAG 2.0/Section 508; guidance embedded in the design system.
• Scalable IA & Governance: Information architecture and contribution guidelines to support new widgets, teams, and policies over time.

Impact & Results

• Security & Simplicity: Reduced authentication friction through SSO and clearer access pathways.
• Efficiency: Faster access to case alerts and work items via a personalized dashboard.
• Adoption: Broad stakeholder uptake driven by role‑aware widgets and consistent UX patterns.
• Scalability: Framework extended to additional widgets and portals without re‑architecting the core.

Lessons Learned

• Engage stakeholders early and often to build durable buy‑in.
• Balance security with usability through iterative, user‑centered testing.
• Systemize accessibility and compliance to prevent downstream rework.
• Design modularly to future‑proof against policy, product, and platform shifts.

Forward Look

• Expand the widget library and deepen metrics on adoption and efficiency.
• Maintain ongoing security and accessibility audits with clear governance.
• Continue real‑user testing alongside analytics to validate outcomes.
• Reuse the modular framework for adjacent USPTO portals and partner integrations.