Stamps.com Mobile App

Stamps.com – Lead Product Designer

I just want to see it… skip to the video walkthroughs!

Situation

Stamps.com had soft-launched a mobile app with the help of an agency, but it lacked the key feature of printing US postage, resulting in negative customer reviews and poor app store ratings. I was brought in as the Lead Product Designer to address this issue and enhance the app's mailing functionalities.

Task

My task was to design the functionality for configuring, purchasing, and printing Envelopes, NetStamps, and Certified Mail, with the aim of improving user satisfaction and app ratings. I needed to tackle the complexities of USPS postage printing and update outdated design components developed by an agency.

Action

I collaborated closely with a small team, including a Software Development Engineer, Quality Assurance Engineer, Product Manager, Technical Writer, and Marketing Manager to plan and execute the design and development work in phases: starting with envelopes and then moving on to NetStamps and Certified Mail. I rebuilt and strengthened fragile Figma components to ensure robust design performance.

Navigating printing challenges was critical, so I drew inspiration from the wizard workflow in the Stamps Windows app. I proposed the addition of a test print step before the final purchase step, a move intended to minimize printing errors for increased efficiency. I tailored the user interface to guide users through the process, reducing errors and the need for customer support.

Throughout the process, I iteratively improved the workflow for each mailing type based on user feedback, refining the overall user experience and saving design time.

Results

The phased rollout, combined with features like contact management, turned negative reviews into feature requests, boosting the app’s rating on the Apple app store to 4.1 out of 5 stars. Users commended the enhanced functionality, and negative reviews shifted focus to billing policies rather than app performance. This project not only addressed the app's initial shortcomings but also established a better iterative design and development process, leading to increased user satisfaction and positive reviews.

A fragile Figma component

A robust Figma component

Video Walkthroughs

Creating an envelope

Creating NetStamps

Creating Certified Mail