Amazon Shipping Label

A New Glanceable Label Design

This is a case study to show how I solved an everyday issue using step-by-step design processes

Project Brief

“Please make the Amazon label more accessible for people who live in an apartment, like me!”

I spent quite a lot of time looking for my Amazon packages. Currently, I live in an apartment which has 4 units. All units have a shared front yard. Amazon delivery crews put all packages in the same spot, so I need to bend my knees to check every package one by one to find out which packages are mine. I believe there must be a better solution for Amazon shipping labels to help people save time when searching for their packages.

Also, it helps Amazon reduce package loss and replacements

One time, **my neighbor accidentally took my package**. After 2 days, she knocked on my door and returned the package to me, but I already **reported to Amazon about the package loss, and I got my new replacement**. Therefore, a better label design could not only help Amazon users but it would also save Amazon a ton of time and money because they wouldn’t have to replace as many items.

Design Process

Find secondary research online to understand the issue. Identify that this is a very common issue.
Interview people to learn about their personal experience with this issue. How do they solve this issue currently, and what are their expectations for the solution.
Summarize the feedback I’ve received, and create a plan as well as a list of restrictions on how I am going to solve this issue.
A list of explanations and pictures on the design solutions according to the identified issues.
Showcase the final design and mockups

**Initial Research**
1/3 of U.S. households are apartments

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2020, 43 million of the 122 million households, are apartments. Some of those residents live in converted apartments which were once large homes. This means there may be 3-4 units in one large home, such as the bungalow style in Chicago, IL. Others may live in a gigantic building that has hundreds of units. However, my assumption is as long they share a mailroom, entrance, or lobby they might experience the same issue I have.
One of **my best friends lives in a building in San Francisco with 420 units, and they share the same mailroom**. I have seen him struggling to find his packages in the mailroom. He **needs to check at least 40 packages before he finds his**. In order to verify this is a common issue for those living in apartments, I decided to interview more people.

Interview 20 people who live in an apartment

How often do you purchase from Amazon?
Good and bad experiences with Amazon shipping?
What kind of building do you live in? How many units are in the building?
Do you have a hard time finding your package?
**I began the interview with the questions listed above. In order to dig deeper into their personal experiences, I did not limit myself to only these questions.**

Key Findings…

Amazon dominates the market. The interviewers all reported they order from Amazon more than any other platform. On average the interviewees receive one package a day from Amazon.
They are satisfied with the speed of shipping, and the returning process is more convenient compared to other platforms.
People who live in luxury apartments have fewer issues finding packages because they have a doorman and/or Hub (a smart locker for delivery items) to help manage all residents' packages. However, only 8% of the interviewees live in this kind of apartment due to high rent cost.

12/20

Need to search for their package in a crowded mailroom or lobby

14/20

Have reported a lost package, and 76% said the problem has occurred more than once where their neighbors have accidentally taken their packages.

16/20

Agree that Amazon label design should be improved to help them identify their packages faster.

Research Conclusion

Taking all these factors into consideration, I found people use Amazon quite frequently, but the majority of people agree that the current Amazon label design could be improved to help them find their packages faster. Also, some people are looking for an easier way to protect their personal information before they throw packages away.

**Define the issue**

Based on the feedback, I summarized the main issues that troubled them
Unorganized and **redundant information on label**
The **recipient's name is not obvious enough** for them to see especially in a dim room, or in the front yard at night.
**The unit number is hidden in the address**. Finding the name quickly is very important, but also finding the correct unit or apartment number is equally as important for some interviewees collecting packages for their friends and family they live with.

**Study the Current Label**

Amazon employees don’t have a full understanding of the label as well
I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out the meaning of the various elements on the label. Due to limited information on the internet, I called the Amazon customer service number to ask for help. **After my phone call was transferred 4 times in order to find the appropriate department, I still couldn't find anyone who understood the information on the label**. In the end, I asked my friend who works at Amazon HQ to search for the answers. He was able to help me put the last piece of the puzzle together.

What does CVG2 mean in the top left corner?

During the interviews, I asked every interviewee what "CVG2" meant in the top left corner of the shipping label. Many people had no idea, and some of them **guessed CVG2 is the warehouse code from which the product was shipped.**
**Unfortunately, the answer is "No".** It is the warehouse where you return the item to.

“The top left corner is the most important visual area”

The top left corner is the most important visual area due to the natural way we read in the U.S. The current label design features the Amazon packages’ return warehouse code in the top left corner. The four employees I spoke with had no idea what they meant. This further enforces the complaints from those I interviewed, “Too much redundant information for customers". In fact, customers see it before they see their own names due to its location on the label.

Elements of the current label

The shipping elements shown above are not only vital for the delivery crews but also for the AI machines in Amazon warehouses. Scannable QR codes can help AI machines categorize and send packages to the correct conveyor belt. Text delivery information with great legibility allows crews to deliver packages fast and accurately.

**Design Principle**

Keep Shipping Functional
Although the end-user experiences are key to keeping Amazon revenue thriving, shipping-related essential elements (Address, bar codes, and QR Codes) are also extremely important in order to continue smooth and successful deliveries. Therefore, I have listed goals and requirements to remind myself to make sure the new design is accessible for the delivery crews and the label scanners on the conveyor-belt machines.
**Every element** on the old label must be included **in the new design.**
Any shipping-related information must not be smaller than the original due to scannability.
**All information should be easy to understand**, and even for the new hiring delivery crew members.

Time to Design

This design section combines the issues I found on the current labels and the solutions

The label could be slightly off due to the low accuracy of printers

Solution: Set Up a Printing Safe Zone

This increases the chance that some information could be cut off. The elements I’ve decided are essential should be accessible all the time, even if they aren’t as important. This issue could be solved by establishing a printing safe zone on the label to make sure all information is available all the time.

The information is cut off due to printer accuracy

A printing safe zone can ensure no elements are cut off, and it makes it easier to read for everyone

Design Adjustment:

Removed the repeated information and changed shipping related info to the lower area, but kept the information in the same order
The users don’t think the information is important to them, but the delivery crews need the information in order to properly handle the packages. Therefore, I relocated them, but keep the original order.
Moved the return warehouse code to the bottom right corner
Based on the interviews, most people didn’t understand the return warehouse code, so I moved it to another corner which makes it easy to access for the crews.
Enhance the first hierarchy
Since I decided to remove one element of the repeated information, I had to ensure the first hierarchy was bold enough for delivery crews to see.
Note: Now the recipient’s name is the first thing in the top left corner.

Design Adjustment:

Put tracking number elements together
Most interviewees could identify the tracking numbers because it is also on Amazon's purchase confirmation email. Therefore, combining them makes it easier for delivery crews or users to understand they are the same information.
Put the QR Code element closer to the warehouse Code
Putting these two elements together will make it easier for delivery crews to find the QR code because now it’s right on the top of the warehouse code, DIL7.
Added a timeline between warehouse codes
Now it’s very clear that MKE1 is the first warehouse, and then the item was shipped to MKE4, and lastly DIL7.
Result: I showed this new design to people who I’ve never interviewed before. Due to this added timeline element, they were all able to understand what the warehouse codes meant and the shipping order.

Pain Point: Some information is too small to read

Users want to see their names before picking up the packages from the ground

All interviewees said the font size of the name and address are too small to read while standing. My interviewees were between the ages of 20-40. People in this age range typically have good vision. This doesn’t account for users with vision impairments. The current label still has plenty of space to utilize larger text. If some parts of the label are too crowded to simply enlarge the text, opening tracking lading space can help users read more easily.

Design Adjustment:

Underline the name
It’s easier to distinguish between name and address, so people can find access the information faster.
Add a big initial on the top left corner
Users can quickly identify their packages without picking them up.
Moved unit number under the initial
After users find the matching initial, they can check the unit/apartment number right away.
The smile on the Amazon logo is more useful than the text “Smile”
When packages arrive, users will receive a message and then go find their package in their mailroom. The Amazon logo can help them quickly filter packages from Amazon vs. other platforms before they spend time searching for text. Amazon also can benefit because this promotes even more brand awareness.

Utility Test &
Character Counts

To ensure the new label has enough space to handle extreme cases, I have tried the longest name, city name, and street name in the United States on the new design, and they all passed the test. However, in case an extreme case occurs, the name element can be a maximum of two rows to accommodate the extra characters. The address can be a maximum of five rows.

Typography

Typography plays an important role in brand recognition. In order to communicate consistency with other Amazon products, the type system of the label is followed by Amazon’s visual guidelines and font systems.