ProView Case Study
Powering Up Professional Research
Proview from Thomson Reuters was an e-reader application for large volume law and accounting titles with complex search capabilities
Expanding to Android and continuing to improve web and iOS gave professionals more ways to work from their libraries wherever they were. ProView remained a primary revenue generator for the Advanced Innovation team at Thomson Reuters.
The Project
Designed to help professionals get the most out of their technical library. The challenge of ProView was to transform static legal texts into a dynamic research environment. Legal professionals often need to navigate massive volumes, find specific sections quickly, and cross-reference authorities. ProView reduces the cognitive load of physical library management by offering powerful search across an entire eBook library and interactive tools that mirror and enhance traditional research habits.
My Role
- Product Designer
- Mobile UI/UX Designer
Platforms
- Android tablet
- iPad
- Desktop Web
Devices
- Android tablet
- iPad
- Desktop
- Web
Tech
- Native Android and iOS apps
- Web app
Timeline
- 2014–2016
- Sold
Target Audience
- Legal Professionals
- Researchers
- Law Students
- Accountants
Building on a Shipped Product
ProView already served lawyers and accountants on web and iOS. The next step was expanding the platform set and keeping improvements moving without breaking established research habits.
Platform Gap
Android was not yet part of the shipping set — professionals on Android tablets lacked a native home for their libraries.
Search Inefficiency
Finding specific terms across multiple physical books is slow and memory-dependent.
Evolving a Live Product
Improvements had to deepen complex search and annotation tools without disrupting users already relying on ProView day to day.
Product Strategy
Grow the platform footprint on Android, while steadily advancing the capabilities professionals already trusted on web and iOS.
Design & Delivery
Creating Value through Precision
Creating Value
Notes That Never Fade
Users can add color-coded notes and highlights anywhere. These are automatically transferred to new editions, creating a permanent, evolving knowledge base for the professional.
- Color-coded notes and highlights anywhere in a title
- Automatic transfer of annotations to new editions
- A permanent, evolving knowledge base for the professional
Creating Value
Advanced Navigation & Search
Professional research demands speed and precision across massive volumes. ProView brings print-like navigation forward with digital tools built for deep search.
- Scrub bar navigation to jump quickly between sections within a volume
- Boolean search within an eBook or across a whole library using professional connectors
- Table of Contents drill-down to find specific sections without endless scrolling
The Full Vision
Through ongoing improvements and the addition of Android, ProView became a multi-platform e-reader for large-volume law and accounting titles across tablet and desktop.
Professional Tools for High-Stakes Environments
Joining after ship meant the work was less about inventing ProView from scratch and more about expanding and refining it.