Mark Becker
Prepared for UXDC 2017
User Research Delivers for the U.S. Postal Service: The Impact of Customer Inputs on the Enhancement of USPS.com
UXDC 2017 Listing:
http://uxdcconference.org/sessions/user-research-delivers-u-s-postal-service-impact-customer-inputs-enhancement-usps-com/
Description:
In this session, attendees will learn about a program of user research we have conducted over the past three years for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). This research has been part of a broad user-centered design approach to website enhancement implemented by USPS, with the overall goal of improving the usability of its website, USPS.com. (...)
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
User Research Delivers for the U.S. Postal Service (UXDC 2017)
1. User Research Delivers for the U.S. Postal Service:
The Impact of Customer Inputs on the
Enhancement of USPS.com
UXDC 2017, Washington DC
Mark Becker, UserWorks Inc.
2. Background
• Started in 2013, still ongoing with 2-3 tests a year on average
• Part of an effort by USPS to update and modernize their site and
web presence
• Multiple studies, various research methods
• Many areas of USPS.com and a mobile app
3. What’s the IMPACT?
• Influential impact
• USPS improving using an incremental UCD approach may inspire other
large organizations
• Business impact
• An improved user experience can be a competitive advantage
• Innovation impact
• USPS gains knowledge about its customers’ needs and wants, and can
develop new technology to serve that need
• Visual impact
• The changes to the site as a result of testing are highly visible
6. Usability Testing
• Moderated, one-on-one
• Participants perform
representative tasks
• Note behaviors, ask
follow-up questions
A participant attempting a task during a session
7. Usability Testing: Pros And Cons
• Pros
• Directly observe participants
• Easier to control the course of the session
• Immediately follow up with questions or probes
• Cons
• Unless willing and able to travel, participants from limited geographic area
• Less convenient for participants
• Some may be uncomfortable in a lab setting
8. Remote Usability Testing
• Can get same insights as in-person sessions
• Remote participant controls our computer
• Audio via phone or VoIP
• Wider geographic area
• More convenient for participants
• Technical considerations
(which software to use, Internet speed, etc.)
9. Card Sorting
• Organize cards representing site
content into logical groups
• Either physical cards
or online
• In-person allows duplicates, omissions,
sub-groups, online does not
• Open
• No limit to number of groups
• Can name the groups
• Closed
• Limited number of pre-named groups A card sort with physical cards An online card sort
10. Card Sorting: Pros And Cons
• Pros
• Develop a content organization scheme
• See what content belongs together vs. what should be kept separate
• Group labels can inform how to label menu items in IA
• Cons
• No insight into layout, visual design
• Participants only see descriptions of content
• Have to be careful how to label the cards
11. Unmoderated Methods
• Tree testing, first-click testing
• Researcher sends email with link to access the tool
• Tool displays instructions, tasks to participant and collects data
12. Tree Testing
• Participants see only the hierarchy, or “tree” of topics and
subtopics that make up the site
• Tasks based around finding items in the hierarchy
• Can’t rely on visual design
• Provides data about how many:
• Successfully identified the correct location
• Went to the correct location immediately versus spent time exploring
(direct success vs. indirect success)
• Visited the correct location but didn’t select it
• Etc.
14. First-click Testing
• Participants shown an image of a page, asked to click where they
would expect to find information
• Only the first click is recorded
• See heatmap of where participants clicked
16. Unmoderated Pros And Cons
•Pros
•Larger sample size
•Asynchronous, participant does on own time
•Can get more data in less time
•Usually less expensive
•Cons
•Participant behavior may be ambiguous
•Rushers, cheaters, the unmotivated
•Help from others
•Cannot easily ask follow up questions
17. Testing On Mobile
• More USPS customers using
mobile devices to access
USPS.com and make purchases
• USPS wants to ensure their
mobile site has the same
functionality as their full site
A participant exploring the MyUSPS tool
during a test session
18. Mobile Testing: Pros And Cons
• Pros
• Interact with the site on the device it was designed for
• Test responsiveness of the design
• Compare between mobile and desktop versions
• Cons
• Additional technical considerations (stream screen or use overhead
cameras?)
• Privacy concerns
20. Participants
• Users of USPS.com, users of competitors, novices/first-time/never
used before
• Those who mail/ship from desktop, tablet, phone
• General public, business owners, mail marketers
• Frequency, recency of visiting USPS.com
• Reasons for visiting USPS.com (make purchases, print labels, find
information, etc.)
• Age (“millennials”), gender, Internet proficiency, etc.
44. Research Focus Areas
• Four main areas of USPS.com
• Homepage
• Global Navigation
• Mailing, Shipping, and Tracking
• Postal Store
• My USPS
45. MY USPS Prototype Usability Test (2016)
My USPS prototype on desktop My USPS prototype on mobile
46. MY USPS Registration Process Usability Test (2016)
Stages in the My USPS
registration process
Mocked up My USPS data used
for testing Informed Delivery
48. Conclusions
• Many changes over the years
• Today’s USPS more modern, better user experience
• Challenges remain
• Hopefully this work will inspire others
49. • UserWorks, Inc. performed the work described in this paper while
acting as a subcontractor to Aquilent. We gratefully acknowledge
their support and collaboration.
• Questions?
Thank You!
Mark Becker
UserWorks, Inc.
mbecker@userworks.com
301-431-0500
(Now Booz Allen Hamilton)