Can’t collect your parcel?
Send a friend.
Problem
The need for digital ‘collection authority’ was a long-standing customer desire. As Australia went into lockdown in March 2020, the need became more pressing.
With customers unable to leave their homes to collect deliveries, we took the opportunity to build a native in-app experience that would not only help people now but improve the experience for future deliveries, too.
Allowing another person to pick up their parcel wasn’t easy. A customer could:
Fill out the back of an ‘Awaiting Collection’ card and physically provide it to the delegate. Not ideal for social distancing.
Find, download, print and complete a ‘Collection Authorisation Form’ and hand it to the person. Ick.
Our data showed people couldn’t even find the form on the website.
Opportunity
We tackled this through an opportunity design process for the native mobile app experience. Then translated the feature for our web platform using an iterative approach.
How might we use the AusPost app to make parcel collection quick, simple, and supportive during a challenging time?
Solution
A new way for AusPost mobile app customers to authorise another person to collect their parcel from the Post Office with just 3 taps. Creating a digital authority image to share.
New digital authorisation flow with share sheet actions.
Content design and feature delivery.
Design process
We defined the customer problem using feedback.
From there, the product designer and content designer:
↳ Crafted a sensical lexicon for the act of ‘delegating digital authorisation’
↳ Defined information hierarchy
↳ Created hifi wireframes for the experience
↳ Designed experiences for edge cases, interactive elements and error scenarios.
Being a technical led design with back end complexity, we collaborated closely with the development team to ensure all information we could pre-fill was built into the experience.
Experience
The new functionality allowed customers to generate a digital ‘Authority to Collect’ image natively through the mobile app.
The authorisation image can be shared (via any app of the users choice) with their selected friend to collect the item on their behalf. Thanks, friend.
Results
Released first on the native mobile app, this feature enabled logged in users to Send a Friend with 3 taps.
Analysis after 3 months of usage has seen a ‘Collection rate’ of 95% for all items which have ‘Authority to collect’ images created and shared.
Over 30,000 parcels have been collected using this feature.
We’ve now provided all AusPost customers with a digital method for authorising somebody to collect their parcel for them.
Perfect for those who can’t make it to the post office before it shuts, or who are sick at home.
Iterating to a web experience
After launching the mobile app experience, we observed how users interacted. The experience was then adapted to a web-based flow.
To inform this, we:
analysed mobile app data,
conducted Post Office staff interviews,
ran usability testing with web prototypes,
and reviewed feedback from customer surveys.
After a few content tweaks, language adjustments and providing in-product help and support, we were ready to launch widely to all Australians.
The web adaption of the native experience required a more cohesive narrative and extra help information on sharing the collection image.
The team
Product Experience Manager: Dave
Product Designer: Hugo
Producer: Tommy
Content designer: Bec
Business Analyst: Nuraj
Developers: Many!