Rethinking registering for Dutch enterprises
Client
Kamer van Koophandel (KVK)
Role
Senior Product Designer
Industry
Public Sector · Governance
Timeline
2024 - Ongoing · 2 yrs
Every entrepreneur starting a business in the Netherlands must register at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK)—a process that historically involved complex paperwork, long phone calls, and in-person appointments. As Senior Product Designer, I led end-to-end design for the online registration experience, balancing user needs with legal requirements, technical constraints, and the long-term ambition to modernise (digital) government services to serve over 2,5 million companies registered.
Rethinking registering for Dutch enterprises
Client
Kamer van Koophandel
Role
Senior Product Designer
Industry
Public Sector · Governance
Timeline
2024 - Ongoing · 2 yrs
Every entrepreneur starting a business in the Netherlands must register at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK)—a process that historically involved complex paperwork, long phone calls, and in-person appointments. As Senior Product Designer, I led end-to-end design for the online registration experience, balancing user needs with legal requirements, technical constraints, and the long-term ambition to modernise (digital) government services to serve over 2,5 million companies registered.
Rethinking registering for Dutch enterprises
Client
Kamer van Koophandel (KVK)
Role
Senior Product Designer
Industry
Public Sector · Governance
Timeline
2024 - Ongoing · 2 yrs
Every entrepreneur starting a business in the Netherlands must register at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK)—a process that historically involved complex paperwork, long phone calls, and in-person appointments. As Senior Product Designer, I led end-to-end design for the online registration experience, balancing user needs with legal requirements, technical constraints, and the long-term ambition to modernise (digital) government services to serve over 2,5 million companies registered.
From design agency to public sector
After 5 years of designing for private sector clients, I made a deliberate career move into public service. I was moved by KVK's mission of 'Humanising Government', and the potential social impact motivated me. Moving from small teams and fast-paced lean sprints to large teams with multiple stakeholders, and the dynamic of a large complex agile organisation was a significant transition.
From design agency to public sector
After 5 years of designing for private sector clients, I made a deliberate career move into public service. I was moved by KVK's mission of 'Humanising Government', and the potential social impact motivated me. Moving from small teams and fast-paced lean sprints to large teams with multiple stakeholders, and the dynamic of a large complex agile organisation was a significant transition.
From design agency to public sector
After 5 years of designing for private sector clients, I made a deliberate career move into public service. I was moved by KVK's mission of 'Humanising Government', and the potential social impact motivated me. Moving from small teams and fast-paced lean sprints to large teams with multiple stakeholders, and the dynamic of a large complex agile organisation was a significant transition.
‘Humanising Government’—ensuring a government where people are (once again) central in policy and implementation, and which is agile and innovative.
‘Humanising Government’—ensuring a government where people are (once again) central in policy and implementation, and which is agile and innovative.
Understanding the challenge
Starting a business is an exciting time, but it can also be uncertain—users are overwhelmed by a sea of legal information, impersonal content, and potential paperwork. Aspiring entrepreneurs experience fragmented customer journeys, struggle with legal terminology and get bogged down in applications without answers to their questions. Many of these issues stem from the same struggle with complexity and product debt.
Understanding the challenge
Starting a business is an exciting time, but it can also be uncertain—users are overwhelmed by a sea of legal information, impersonal content, and potential paperwork. Aspiring entrepreneurs experience fragmented customer journeys, struggle with legal terminology and get bogged down in applications without answers to their questions. Many of these issues stem from the same struggle with complexity and product debt.
Understanding the challenge
Starting a business is an exciting time, but it can also be uncertain—users are overwhelmed by a sea of legal information, impersonal content, and potential paperwork. Aspiring entrepreneurs experience fragmented customer journeys, struggle with legal terminology and get bogged down in applications without answers to their questions. Many of these issues stem from the same struggle with complexity and product debt.
Strategic objectives
Strategic objectives
Strategic objectives
01
01
01
Providing aspiring entrepreneurs with clear information and appropriate guidance from the beginning, enabling them to make a well-informed decision about whether or not to start a business.
Providing aspiring entrepreneurs with clear information and appropriate guidance from the beginning, enabling them to make a well-informed decision about whether or not to start a business.
Providing aspiring entrepreneurs with clear information and appropriate guidance from the beginning, enabling them to make a well-informed decision about whether or not to start a business.
02
02
02
Providing personalised support during the registration process and automatically route starting entrepreneurs to appropriate guidance and information that meets their needs.
Providing personalised support during the registration process and automatically route starting entrepreneurs to appropriate guidance and information that meets their needs.
Providing personalised support during the registration process and automatically route starting entrepreneurs to appropriate guidance and information that meets their needs.
03
03
03
Entrepreneurs, with the right basic knowledge, will launch their business and experience the Chamber of Commerce as a relevant partner—from the start to the further development of their business.
Entrepreneurs, with the right basic knowledge, will launch their business and experience the Chamber of Commerce as a relevant partner—from the start to the further development of their business.
Entrepreneurs, with the right basic knowledge, will launch their business and experience the Chamber of Commerce as a relevant partner—from the start to the further development of their business.
04
04
04
KVK's services are modular, and employees are fully digitally supported, allowing the business to respond flexibly and proactively to clients' needs.
KVK's services are modular, and employees are fully digitally supported, allowing the business to respond flexibly and proactively to clients' needs.
KVK's services are modular, and employees are fully digitally supported, allowing the business to respond flexibly and proactively to clients' needs.
Participating and facilitating in workshops
High-level online registration process visualisation
Participating and facilitating in workshops
Imagining the ideal customer journey
I led strategic vision work to visualise ambitions and align the organisation within a multi-year program to modernise the government services. I delivered a concept car in a series of workshops with 15+ senior stakeholders from across KVK to co-create a vision for 'Starting a business in 2028'—the ideal customer journey touching themes such as centralisation, personalisation, and modularity.
Imagining the ideal customer journey
I led strategic vision work to visualise ambitions and align the organisation within a multi-year program to modernise the government services. I delivered a concept car in a series of workshops with 15+ senior stakeholders from across KVK to co-create a vision for 'Starting a business in 2028'—the ideal customer journey touching themes such as centralisation, personalisation, and modularity.
Imagining the ideal customer journey
I led strategic vision work to visualise ambitions and align the organisation within a multi-year program to modernise the government services. I delivered a concept car in a series of workshops with 15+ senior stakeholders from across KVK to co-create a vision for 'Starting a business in 2028'—the ideal customer journey touching themes such as centralisation, personalisation, and modularity.
Current landing pages for online registration at KVK
Current landing pages for online registration at KVK
Current landing pages for online registration at KVK
Context map of synthesised research in current state
Context map of synthesised research in current state
Context map of synthesised research in current state
Navigating organizational complexity
As a user advocate, I defended user needs, advised on product choices and ensured progress towards our (long-term) goals. Different rituals of product teams, panels, and work groups were filled with stakeholders with competing priorities. Legal: Usage of official terminology to ensure compliance, support: high cost of users calling for everything, engineering: changing the form logic is complex and expensive, management: we must implement the policy before our Q4 targets.
Navigating organizational complexity
As a user advocate, I defended user needs, advised on product choices and ensured progress towards our (long-term) goals. Different rituals of product teams, panels, and work groups were filled with stakeholders with competing priorities. Legal: Usage of official terminology to ensure compliance, support: high cost of users calling for everything, engineering: changing the form logic is complex and expensive, management: we must implement the policy before our Q4 targets.
Navigating organizational complexity
As a user advocate, I defended user needs, advised on product choices and ensured progress towards our (long-term) goals. Different rituals of product teams, panels, and work groups were filled with stakeholders with competing priorities. Legal: Usage of official terminology to ensure compliance, support: high cost of users calling for everything, engineering: changing the form logic is complex and expensive, management: we must implement the policy before our Q4 targets.
High-level online registration process visualised
High-level online registration process visualisation
High-level online registration process visualised
Design principles
Design principles
Design principles
Ease of use
Specific reading on a topic, with easy, central access for actions.
Insight in process-steps
A step indicator providing insight into your online registration process stage.
Insight in progress
A progress indicator showing completed, ongoing, and upcoming tasks in detail.
Form completion support
You only need to check or select, when completing forms or making choices.
Step-by-step information
Display content about advice, laws, and regulations at the right time and place.
Relevant support
Personalised help regarding policies, laws, regulations, and burden of proof.
Interim saving
Automatically save data when you click 'Previous', 'Next', or 'Send'.
Ease of continuation
Continue where you left off when you stop forms and log in later with DigiD.
Privacy and security
SSL certification, encryption and log out after 15 min. inactivity to protect privacy.
Compiling overview page to fill in information
Compiling overview page to fill in information
Compiling overview page to fill in information
Meeting legal, privacy, and accessibility requirements
I worked on various development features, including expanding appointment systems, performing underwater validations, and ensuring the product complies with evolving standards. Terminology was approved by lawyers (legal), transparent elaborations about data usage were provided (privacy), keyboard navigation was verified, and sufficient colour contrast was ensured according to WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines (accessibility).
Meeting legal, privacy, and accessibility requirements
I worked on various development features, including expanding appointment systems, performing underwater validations, and ensuring the product complies with evolving standards. Terminology was approved by lawyers (legal), transparent elaborations about data usage were provided (privacy), keyboard navigation was verified, and sufficient colour contrast was ensured according to WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines (accessibility).
Meeting legal, privacy, and accessibility requirements
I worked on various development features, including expanding appointment systems, performing underwater validations, and ensuring the product complies with evolving standards. Terminology was approved by lawyers (legal), transparent elaborations about data usage were provided (privacy), keyboard navigation was verified, and sufficient colour contrast was ensured according to WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines (accessibility).
KVK events for people who want to start a business
KVK events for people who want to start a business
KVK events for people who want to start a business
Building capacity and capability for user research & testing
As an end-to-end product designer, I conducted research (quantitative and qualitative) from the initial research goal to delivering a comprehensive report. I translated research into informed design decisions. Also, I communicated pain points and user needs to stakeholders. As a result, the gathered data, findings, and insights contributed to defining strategy, developing roadmaps, and creating user stories.
Building capacity and capability for user research & testing
As an end-to-end product designer, I conducted research (quantitative and qualitative) from the initial research goal to delivering a comprehensive report. I translated research into informed design decisions. Also, I communicated pain points and user needs to stakeholders. As a result, the gathered data, findings, and insights contributed to defining strategy, developing roadmaps, and creating user stories.
Building capacity and capability for user research & testing
As an end-to-end product designer, I conducted research (quantitative and qualitative) from the initial research goal to delivering a comprehensive report. I translated research into informed design decisions. Also, I communicated pain points and user needs to stakeholders. As a result, the gathered data, findings, and insights contributed to defining strategy, developing roadmaps, and creating user stories.
Design system documentation in Storybook
Design system documentation in Storybook
Design system documentation in Storybook
Extending Trinity design system
The existing Trinity design system covered basic foundations and UI components, but lacked patterns and templates for complex forms and specific use cases. I helped shape documentation around patterns like multi-step forms, progress indicators and how to deal with performance or loading data. Including early exploration of new standards and guidelines for conditional logic in workflows.
Extending Trinity design system
The existing Trinity design system covered basic foundations and UI components, but lacked patterns and templates for complex forms and specific use cases. I helped shape documentation around patterns like multi-step forms, progress indicators and how to deal with performance or loading data. Including early exploration of new standards and guidelines for conditional logic in workflows.
Extending Trinity design system
The existing Trinity design system covered basic foundations and UI components, but lacked patterns and templates for complex forms and specific use cases. I helped shape documentation around patterns like multi-step forms, progress indicators and how to deal with performance or loading data. Including early exploration of new standards and guidelines for conditional logic in workflows.
Outcomes
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
95
%
Customer effort score
Registering a company online has the highest rating of any KVK digital service. Users consistently praise ease of the process.
350K
+
Annual online registrations
Offering information, guidance, and support for people who register a company at the Dutch chamber of commerce.
20K
+
Reduction in phone-calls
Exceeded yearly goals through self-service. Increasing operational savings, and freeing up staff for high-value support
3M
+
Annual website visitors
Launched features while keeping services available and operational. Maintaining performance and accessibility standards.
Learnings
Learnings
Learnings
What I’ve learned is the power of storytelling; advocating for ideas, creating visibility, and inspiring people in a complex agile organisation. By shifting from operational to more tactical and strategic thinking, setting the vision, creating momentum, planning work, defining goals & metrics. People are different; they all see other sides of a ‘Rubik's Cube’. You have to learn which side to show them so they realise when they're talking, we're all talking about the same thing with different views.
What I’ve learned is the power of storytelling; advocating for ideas, creating visibility, and inspiring people in a complex agile organisation. By shifting from operational to more tactical and strategic thinking, setting the vision, creating momentum, planning work, defining goals & metrics. People are different; they all see other sides of a ‘Rubik's Cube’. You have to learn which side to show them so they realise when they're talking, we're all talking about the same thing with different views.
Designing for government taught me humility (you can't move as fast as you want), patience (change takes time in large organisations), and persistence (keep advocating even when progress feels slow). Most importantly, it taught me the profound impact design can have when applied to services everyone needs. Resulting in social impact is tangible, meaningful, and lasting.
Designing for government taught me humility (you can't move as fast as you want), patience (change takes time in large organisations), and persistence (keep advocating even when progress feels slow). Most importantly, it taught me the profound impact design can have when applied to services everyone needs. Resulting in social impact is tangible, meaningful, and lasting.
Julong turns complex challenges into clear, intuitive, and user‑focused solutions. He brings curiosity and creativity to every project. For each brief, he develops multiple concepts to test with users, ensuring that the customer’s voice is reflected. He is also a strong collaborator, engaging cross-functionally to gather requirements and insights. With an approach grounded in data and research, he delivers well‑rounded, thoughtful results.
Julong turns complex challenges into clear, intuitive, and user‑focused solutions. He brings curiosity and creativity to every project. For each brief, he develops multiple concepts to test with users, ensuring that the customer’s voice is reflected. He is also a strong collaborator, engaging cross-functionally to gather requirements and insights. With an approach grounded in data and research, he delivers well‑rounded, thoughtful results.
Tesja Bonnie
UX Writer at KVK
Credits
Credits
Credits
Frank De Wit – Design Manager & Advisor • Mark van Uum – Senior Product Designer • Jasper Velten – Product Manager • Tesja Bonnie – UX Writer • Coen Roorda – Customer Journey Expert • Susanne Moerings – Service Designer • Marius Schmitz – Business Analyst • Dean Koster – Back-end Engineer • Marcel Mollenhorst – Test Engineer • Youssef Ibrahimi – Scrum Master • Tobias de Kruijf – Project Manager • Others I didn’t mention – you know who you are
Frank De Wit – Design Manager & Advisor • Mark van Uum – Senior Product Designer & Product Owner • Jasper Velten – Product Manager • Tesja Bonnie – UX Writer • Coen Roorda – Customer Journey Expert • Susanne Moerings – Service Designer • Marius Schmitz – Business Analyst • Dean Koster – Back-end Engineer • Marcel Mollenhorst – Test Engineer • Youssef Ibrahimi – Scrum Master • Others I didn’t mention – you know who you are
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