USPS International Assistant — Case Study

Problem

USPS handled over half a million international inquiries and claims annually, yet two-thirds were still managed by Customer Care agents despite an existing online form. As a result, operational costs remained high, and customers experienced a frustrating support process that often required phone assistance.

Before Experience

The existing online inquiry form was a static, multi-step process that required users to complete everything on their own without guidance.

Users had to interpret requirements without clear instructions
High cognitive load due to too many fields shown at once
No clear step-by-step progression
No save functionality, forcing users to restart if interrupted

As a result, users frequently made errors or abandoned the process and contacted Customer Care instead.

The original USPS File an International Inquiry form — a static page of fields with little guidance — Before: the original static inquiry form — every field at once, no guidance, no way to save progress.

Goals

Create a clear, conversational user experience
Decrease Customer Care Center calls
Increase self-service use for international inquiries
Make the process simpler

International Assistant user workflow diagram — The redesigned inquiry workflow — each step reveals only what's relevant.

Approach

What we found

We initially explored improving the existing form with minor updates. However, usability findings showed that the core issue was structural, not visual — users struggled with understanding what information was needed, and when.

The decision

This led us to move from incremental improvements to a full redesign focused on guided interaction.

Key trade-offs

Redesign approach — chose a full structural redesign to address confusion and drop-off, instead of surface-level improvements
Experience vs. constraints — designed a conversational, step-by-step flow while working within existing USPS system limitations
Content strategy — simplified instructions and reduced steps without losing required information

Navigating constraints

Worked within existing USPS backend systems
Followed USPS design standards and accessibility requirements
Balanced simplicity with operational and regulatory needs

Solution

I led UX design across 10 sprints using a human-centered design process, working closely with stakeholders to align user needs with system capabilities. The redesign focused on reducing uncertainty and guiding users through each step.

Key design decisions

Guided conversational flow — replaced a long static form with a step-by-step experience to reduce cognitive load
Auto-filled shipment data — pre-populated known information to reduce manual input and errors
Progressive disclosure — displayed only relevant fields based on user input
Save and resume — let users pause and return later, reducing abandonment
Accessible, consistent UI — designed to USPS standards with accessibility in mind

Redesigned guided Package Info page — one clear step at a time — The guided start — one clear task at a time instead of a wall of fields.

Progressive disclosure means users only ever see the questions and documents relevant to their specific inquiry — nothing more.

Gather Your Documents step showing only the documents relevant to the inquiry — Only the documents relevant to the inquiry are requested, with clear guidance on each.

Known shipment data is auto-filled, and every path ends the same way: a plain-language review before anything is submitted.

Conversational data collection — sender and recipient details

Review and submit — a clear summary before the inquiry is filed

Conversational data collection (left), ending in a clear review before the inquiry is filed (right).

Designed for mobile

The guided flow was designed responsively, so customers can file and track an inquiry entirely from their phone.

The guided International Assistant flow shown across mobile screens — Search, guided entry, and confirmation — the full flow, sized for a phone.

Experience Improvement

Before

Static form with little guidance
Users responsible for figuring out requirements
High chance of errors and abandonment
No flexibility to pause or resume

After

Step-by-step guided experience
Clear instructions at each stage
Reduced errors through structured input
Save-and-resume for flexibility

Results

Increased task completion rates during usability testing
Reduced user errors through guided input and automation
Improved user confidence throughout the process
Decreased dependency on Customer Care for support

Impact

Estimated $800K annual savings from reduced call volume
Increased self-service adoption and faster completion times
Consistent, accessible experience aligned with USPS standards

Learnings

Clear, step-by-step guidance and simple language significantly improve completion rates. Designing with accessibility and system constraints in mind early helps reduce rework later. Breaking complex processes into smaller, guided steps creates a more usable and scalable experience.