Conceptualizing and designing a form for everyone – A major improvement to RegBL

For the Federal Statistical Office and in partnership with INSER, we designed the “Report an issue” form: a simple and accessible interface to help improve the data of the Federal Register of Buildings and Dwellings (RegBL).

A project where user research plays a key role in making public services more intuitive and easier to use.

Project context

The RegBL brings together official data on all buildings and dwellings in Switzerland. This information is continuously updated by municipal and cantonal services, as well as through sources such as official surveying or the Federal Buildings Programme, and serves as a reference within the federal administration.

To improve its quality, the FSO wanted to create a dedicated form allowing anyone to report an error or missing information in the data.

Requests submitted via this form are then verified by the competent authorities (municipalities, cantons, or the FSO) before being published in the Register.

Who is the form for?

One of the main complexities of the form lies in the fact that it targets several audiences:

Citizens, mainly owners and tenants, who want to correct information about their dwelling or building.
Professionals in the field: property managers, administrations, engineering firms, etc.

When should it be used?

There are many situations. For example, correcting an incorrect address, repositioning a building entrance, reporting a missing building, or updating heating or surface information.

For experts, the tool makes it possible to update technical data: reporting a heating system change that has not yet been recorded in the RegBL₂, correcting the type of heat production installation, etc.

Understanding the target audience first

From the start, our goal was clear: design a smooth experience adapted to each profile.

So we began with a study and a persona workshop.

Two main profiles emerged:

Individuals: tenants or owners. They know their address, but not necessarily the technical terms. They need step-by-step guidance.
Experts: industry professionals, public administrations, technicians. They want speed, with direct access to data and technical vocabulary.

From user journey to interface

Once the needs were identified, we worked on the user flow: which steps, which pages, what type of guidance?

Every interaction was designed to be clear and coherent, from the first click to the final confirmation.

Wireframes to bring ideas to life

Wireframes are the first sketches of the future tool. They structure content, test logic, and allow iteration before moving on to visual design.

We used the Oblique component library Oblique, already used in many Federal services. It ensures consistency, accessibility, and efficiency.

Depending on the profile, two user journeys were created:

a “general public” mode guiding less familiar users step by step
an expert mode, more direct, with free input fields and industry terminology

Test, fix, improve

Nothing beats observing real use. Usability tests were conducted to check understanding, navigation, and language clarity.

Each piece of feedback helped refine the form: simplifying steps, adjusting labels, smoothing the user flow.

Then, we tested again, until we found the right balance between simplicity and precision.

The project’s challenges

Turning a complex administrative process into an intuitive, accessible, and pleasant experience is no small task.

But this project came with two major challenges:

Create a smooth experience for multiple audiences, from the general public to experts, without it becoming cumbersome for anyone.
Understand the subtleties of the field, such as the difference between a building and a dwelling, or the complexity of the associated data.

Thanks to a committed, expert, and always cheerful team, these challenges became opportunities for learning and creativity.

What’s next?

The form will now be tested in real conditions. When it goes online, we’ll be able to observe how different users interact with it, what works well, and what can be improved.

This stage will open the door to new developments: adding features, developing new use cases, or even simplifying certain steps.

A successful project is above all a project centered on people

At Antistatique, we are convinced: listening to users is the best way to design sustainable and effective tools.

Want to entrust us with a project? Let’s talk!