Final Project

My final project is a questionnaire app created through Community.lawyer that helps people navigate a trademark/servicemark application form. The idea of using Community.lawyer to create this app specifically was of interest to me because I gained experience with this type of form during my internship this past summer. I noticed that while it was not necessarily complex, it could be confusing and tedious to the average person. I also appreciate the fact that the need to fill out trademark/servicemark forms isn’t unique to big corporations. They could be applicable to really anyone, including people without significant resources. The questionnaire is designed to guide the user through the process of filling out the form, while leaving out the questions that simply don’t apply to them. For example, the first section asks for different information based on whether the applicant is filing personally or on behalf of a business. There are a host of questions that need answers if the user is filing on behalf of a business that are irrelevant to someone filing personally. This app eliminates those questions by asking the simple questions up front. Regarding things to look out for, the questionnaire itself is largely self-explanatory. However, one thing to look out for is the disclosure form created after the second block. I created it largely from borrowing language from LegalZoom.com and molding it to fit this scenario. Furthermore, it is necessary because I intended for this to be a free app on a small or solo firm’s website. The disclosure sets out the basics of what the user should expect, most notably that no attorney-client relationship has been created, but also that they can consult a licensed attorney including this firm if they need any help. The process of creating the app was not overly complex but it was certinaly time consuming. If I had the resources, I would love to have as many people as possible beta test the app. There are just some things that one person alone isn’t likely to catch. Moreover, that kind of feedback can create breakthroughs in terms of how the app can be more user friendly. While this app is not meant to make the trademark/servicemark application move as quickly as possible, it is designed to make it efficient. In this way, the greater the efficiency the better.