Consolidating the needs of 2 companies into a single solution
for a Smart Parcel Distribution and SaaS Software — A UX/UI Case Study
Clients: MyPup and Parzelo
Section: Last Mile Company and SaaS Software
My Role: Entire UX/UI Design process
Timeframe: 4 weeks
Overview
With a team of 4 members, we had to redesign and propose new solutions for the end users of a last-mile company. We conducted the entire UX/UI process, delivering research findings, a design system, prototypes, and responsive designs.
Starting with stakeholder input, we conducted research to uncover additional pain points, addressing both initial and new issues discovered through interviews and research.
Simultaneously, we addressed a challenge faced by another company responsible for the SaaS software used in managing the logistics of the last-mile company. Our solution seamlessly merged insights from both companies, catering to the diverse needs of 3 distinct user groups.
In this case study, I will delve deeper into the MyPup process.
Clients
MyPup
MyPup (My Pick Up Point), a certified B Corp©, revolutionizes urban logistics with sustainable parcel delivery. Since 2014, it’s led in the Netherlands and expanded across the UK, Ireland, and Germany. By consolidating parcels from diverse sources at hubs outside city centers and utilizing electric vehicles or e-cargo bikes, MyPup minimizes congestion and enhances sustainability. It also manages parcel receipt and returns, relieving pressure on users and ensuring secure storage in lockers at Pick Up Points.
Parzelo
Founded by the creators of MyPup, Parzelo is a powerful cloud-based software platform designed to simplify and enhance parcel management. It automates the receiving, storing, and exchange of parcels and items within organizations, offering full control and oversight. Parzelo addresses business challenges by optimizing asset tracking, reducing search time, and ensuring efficient utilization across teams.
Requests
Before the kickoff meeting with stakeholders, we were presented with the project briefings for both companies. Initially, the idea was to split into pairs for each company, but after further analysis, we decided to continue working as a team.
Initial Problem Statement
To facilitate the kickoff meeting, I used the sailboat workshop technique to uncover the project goals, the drivers that would help us achieve those goals, and the blockers that could prevent us from reaching them.
The intention was not only to establish these elements but also to ensure everyone was on the same page regarding the project understanding. Also in this kickoff meeting, with knowledge provided from stakeholders, we collectively defined the initial problem statements for each company, defining what needed to be addressed during the project.
Starting with MyPup, the defined objectives revolved around making the app and website more intuitive, ultimately aiming to encourage users to utilize the service of returning packages through theirs pickup points more frequently. With this in mind, the following initial problem statement was defined:
With an understanding of a initial problem statement to address, we began the research process, understanding the client services and platforms, searching for competitors in the market, gathering customer feedback, and scheduling interviews with MyPup end users.
Research
To understand the end users of Mypup, we first needed to comprehend the services and the product usage. To use the services, customers can access both the MyPup website and app, with the app being slightly more used.
Through both platforms, end users can create an account, select a preferred pickup point, check their proxy address, access their profile, open reserved lockers, access services, view parcel history, check the FAQ, and use the chat for communication.
Product and Services
For companies that hire their service, MyPup provides custom lockers in the requested quantities and sizes. The lockers come in small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes, and can be opened using the app or by entering the provided code on the digital screen.
For end users, registration on the platform is required to create a delivery address. This coded address, when used for online orders, directs the parcel to MyPup’s hub. There, MyPup dispatchers using Parzelo software, identify the user through this address and forward the parcel to their designated pickup point.
The lockers are the main components of MyPup’s services. When ordering something and using the delivery address provided by MyPup, the customer will receive the package in a locker.
Once MyPup receives the parcel at the hub and identifies the user, they select an available locker at the destination pickup point and place the parcel there, allowing the end user to retrieve it at their convenience.
Through the lockers, end users can also perform handovers to other users and send or return parcels. For sending or returning parcels, users can select the package size/locker via the app or website, indicate whether it has a label, and provide the requested information.
Upon completing these steps, a locker is reserved for the user to store the package. MyPup then collects the parcel from the locker and directs it to its final destination.
When a parcel is delivered to a locker, the end user receives an email and an SMS with details about the delivery, including the pickup point name, locker number, and password to open it. Although users don’t receive notifications through the app, they can open the locker using a button within the app.
Once the user opens the locker, retrieves the parcel, and closes it, the delivery is marked as completed, and the locker becomes available again for future deliveries, handovers, shipments, or returns.
Competitive Analysis
Aiming to understand what MyPup had to offer compared to competitors, we found none offering identical services, with only two having similar functionalities.
Bringme, a company offering pickup points with lockers, primarily targets businesses needing to organize parcels for delivery rather than end-users receiving them. In this setup, the service contractor is responsible for parcel reception and management.
The other notable company was Keynius, also providing software for locker management. Like Bringme, Keynius caters more to businesses and doesn’t handle deliveries or possess its own hub for parcel storage and organization. However, both applications boasted more intuitive interfaces compared to MyPup.
User and Audience
User Interviews
We needed to analyze whether the initial problem identified in the kickoff meeting was the same issue faced by users or if there were other reasons why some services were unclear from the users’ perspective. Additionally, we visited a condominium with MyPup lockers to conduct interviews.
We managed to conduct full interviews with 6 users, while many others (both users and non-users) provided feedback about the app and the service. Additionally, through a messaging app, many shared screenshots and messages recounting situations involving MyPup, presenting a variety of scenarios ranging from inquiries and interest to personal experiences they had encountered.
Each interview was conducted with different questions, tailored to what users were reporting about MyPup and its usage during the initial standard questions. To understand how users perceived and interacted with MyPup’s products and services, we focused our questions on the following topics:
- Understanding User Experience
- Convenience
- Safety/Trust
- Sustainability
- Competitive Advantage
- Preference and Decision Making
- App Usability
We asked users why they chose MyPup’s service, what set the company apart from other services, and to share their experiences in various aspects. Following this, we categorized interview findings to pinpoint areas needing improvement and constructed an empathy map to analyze opportunities and user pain points, emphasizing the following points:
General – We found that MyPup users in this apartment complex faced significant issues beyond the lack of intuitiveness. These included package delivery to distant pickup points, frustration with delivery information, and difficulties with handling larger packages.
With this we discovered that the initial problem had shifted. What was initially believed to be a source of user dissatisfaction was actually a service unknown to them. The true source of frustration for end-users was not a lack of intuitiveness but a lack of solutions.
User Persona
To explain more clearly what we found to the stakeholders, we created a User Journey and a User Persona.
Let’s meet Alex, a busy student who lives in a complex of buildings equipped with MyPup service. Juggling lectures and work, he relies on online shopping for its convenience. With MyPup, he thought it would be the perfect solution for his pickups and returns — a secure spot tailored to his needs. However, after one of his parcels was left outside a locker, he doesn’t see a difference from other services.
Alex’s first experience with MyPup starts with confusion over the delivery address format and the inconvenience of copying it line by line. Not accustomed to email-based communication, Alex is surprised to receive a call from the courier informing him that the package is too big for the largest locker. While he’s out, he requests the courier to leave it near the building’s locker area.
Upon returning home, he can’t find the package and worries it’s lost or stolen. After a stressful experience, Alex discovers via email that the package was left in another building within his complex, adding to his frustration, especially when carrying it in the rain.
This User Journey was pivotal in aligning everyone’s understanding of the user’s experience. Despite MyPup’s email notifications regarding large parcel deliveries or locker unavailability at pickup points, users often overlooked their emails, preferring SMS or app notifications. This detail was crucial for addressing the issue for both MyPup and Parzelo.
Problem Statement
After further analysis and discussion with stakeholders, a new problem statement was defined by consensus.
Alex, an ambitious and busy student residing in Amsterdam, needs a secure way to receive his larger and more valuable packages, because he’s unable to be present at home during deliveries and he has encountered challenges in the past, such as lost packages left outside the lockers due to their sizes.
Brainstorming
Using the “How Might We” technique, we began brainstorming to generate ideas for resolving this problem statement. We divided it into a main topic and subsequently into subtopics.
With many ideas in hand, we applied the MoSCoW method to prioritize the features.
We’re adding package tracking and scheduling for user control, including infographics for service clarity, notifications/alerts in the app and QR code functionality for easy package retrieval.
We structured with low-fi wireframes and swiftly transitioned to high-fi designs, utilizing the current brand colors to create components. This approach facilitates future adjustments.
Style Tile
For the color palette, we decided to incorporate Parzelo’s colors by replacing black with Dark Navy Blue for a touch of elegance. This choice ensures the app remains visually appealing without overwhelming users with too many colors. We retained the original orange color to maintain the company’s identity. Additionally, we introduced rounded and customized icons to uphold a clean and legible appearance. Illustrations and images were selected to align with the new color palette. For the font, we chose Inter for its readability on screens.
Wireframes
As requested by the client, we created the main screens for each service or menu option in the app, redesigning and making them slightly more intuitive, both in light and dark mode.
For the Settings page, I reorganized the options for clearer visualization, added adjustment options related to the new functionalities, updated some icons for improved recognition, and maintained a consistent pattern for language switching based on recognition heuristics.
MyPup aims to improve accessibility by enhancing delivery settings, allowing users to specify their preferred conditions. Since this feature was already in development, we chose to add the option to the settings page.
For the Help and Contact page, since it is a button for a ChatBot and couldn’t be modified, we designed a new button suggestion.
For the Landing page, we included notifications, displaying all recent relevant alerts and those about packages waiting for pickup.
For the Pick Up Point page, we grouped related elements from two pages into one and reduced the text.
For the Send/Return service, I had the idea of reducing the steps in the process by combining related steps logically. So, the previously lengthy flow for sending a package, which involved about 11 pages to complete the process, has been streamlined.
This flow applied when a user wanted to send an extra small package within the Netherlands and requested MyPup to create a shipping label. We reduced the total number of pages, making it more intuitive and easier for users to recognize the next steps.
Responsive Design
For responsive design, we adapted components for desktop, added a burger menu, and combined settings with profile. We also included background images and a step marker.
Usability Test
During usability testing, we noted key factors. While we added the option to access package retrieval codes on any app page, it was unnecessary on unrelated pages, such as when sending a package. Thus, we removed this option from unrelated pages, focusing on relevant ones.
When connecting with a pickup point, we also made the “Change Pickup Point” button less prominent to avoid it appearing as a primary action.
Users praised the new feature for its potential to solve issues and attract more users with enhanced control options. Although drop-off scheduling is not fully developed, we gathered feedback for future design. Users understood the option to specify a drop-off location and expressed the need for a clearer follow-up outlining available actions on the next page.
Prototype
For the prototype, we followed a flow where a new user starts with MyPup, selects a PickUp Point, makes a purchase with a package slightly larger than the largest locker, gets notified, and decides how to proceed with delivery.
This allowed us to include:
• Client-requested onboarding screens
• An intuitive PickUp Point selection page for better user control
• A new notifications page and types
• New Pick Up Point page for copying the delivery address
• The new Receive / Pick Up service feature
• A more intuitive services page
Please review the user flow for the prototype in the video provided below:
Single solution
Why use the QR code instead of picking up the scheduled product directly? And how does this solution benefit two companies simultaneously?
That’s where Parzelo comes in.
To recap, MyPup dispatchers use Parzelo’s software to manage orders to MyPup end users using MyPup services.
In turn, Parzelo also offers MyPup lockers to companies that subscribe to their SaaS service, allowing them to manage the lockers according to their needs. Parzelo is responsible for the software, while MyPup, in these scenarios (to Parzelo Clients), handles only the installation and maintenance of the lockers on-site.
Parzelo caters to diverse audiences with varying needs, making it challenging to implement abrupt or entirely specific changes for a single client. During our research for Parzelo, we discovered a common issue among almost all users: bookings remaining open.
For mailroom/dispatchers using Parzelo’s software, similar to MyPup dispatchers, when packages are forwarded through the lockers, the user’s action of opening and closing the locker automatically marks the delivery as completed in the system.
However, when forwarding a parcel to someone outside of a locker, it relies on the recipient to confirm receipt of the package via email, completing the booking as delivered. Frequently, this didn’t occur because, as illustrated by Alex, an end user of MyPup, most end users disliked reading emails, resulting in the bookings remaining open.
Previously, it was necessary to notify the end user multiple times or even have the mailroom user / dispatcher close the booking through the system themselves.
Through Parzelo, we understood the frustrations of mailroom users and what complicated their work processes. However, since we couldn’t interview Parzelo’s clients and end users, we gained insight into parcel recipients’ feelings and needs through MyPup.
By integrating new delivery options, scheduling, notifications, and QR code functionalities into the MyPup app for end users, we enhance their control and meet their needs effectively.
Similarly, implementing new delivery statuses with QR code generation and scanning options benefits Parzelo mailroom users / dispatchers. This feature allows the system to automatically mark their open bookings as delivered with a simple QR code scan, eliminating the need for users to access emails for confirmation (Check Parzelo Case Study for more detailed information).
Conclusion
The companies faced unique needs, problems, and user demographics. They had long recognized the need to address certain issues. However, they struggled to find a solution that could cater to both end users and dispatchers without resorting to custom solutions for each client type. Completely revamping the platform posed significant challenges, including time, cost, potential errors, and the difficulty of transitioning users accustomed to the current setup.
Extensive research, including targeted interviews, was instrumental in finding solutions. Aligning the entire team to understand and prioritize needs, identify blockers, address emerging requirements, and adhere to deadlines was also crucial for project success.
In summary, the solution we’ve crafted works together seamlessly to simplify package retrieval: end users schedule deliveries and use QR codes, while dispatchers employ QR codes for the new scheduled deliveries, making pickup hassle-free for everyone involved. It will still be necessary to design the other scheduling-related features and develop ideas for future delivery configurations to enhance accessibility.
MyPup and Parzelo have enthusiastically received the new functionalities and designs, marking a positive milestone. The implementation plan, of the solutions and designs crafted by our team, is already in progress, with expected completion by the end of 2024.
