Slides from 2016 IA Summit presentation. Here's how the presentation was described in the #IAS program: This session (deck) explores the adoption of a set of UX heuristics for USPS.com and how they came to form the backbone for iterative IA/UX audits of the USPS.com domain including any number of sites, micro-sites, sub-domains, tools, and applications. It explores the selection of a UX heuristic set - we settled on a customized version of Abby Covert’s IA Heuristics for Interaction Designers (2011) - and the design and implementation of a repeatable IA/UX audit process. Together, these form the backbone of of the USPS.com continuous improvement strategy that has significantly improved domain usability as well as communication and cooperation with USPS stakeholders, business drivers, and the agency of record.

1. Adopting IA Heuristics and Iterative UX Reviews:
A USPS.com Case Study*
Jeffrey Ryan Pass | @jeffpass | IA Summit 2016 | May 8, 2016

2. Introclaimers*
Me: my phone
*See complete disclaimers in Appendix 1

3. Warner Bros via: Cultura Inquieta
It is a federal
building with
many long
hallways; it is
engineered for
comfort and
productivity

4. Some people think of USPS as a broken-down machine
Flickr: Gordon

5. Or an ill-fated machineWTOP

6. And while few would
think of it as a ruthless
machine…
KUT.org: Paolo Cocco

7. …those who
understand the
scope and scale
of the operation
could be forgiven
for thinking it is a
tricked out,
(mid-century)
modern machine
Barrett-Jackson

8. But the reality is more like thisYouTube: DownShiftRecords

9. Or even thisFlickr: Cha Cha

10. USPS.com in FY 20151
:
• $1.01 billion revenue (2.0% vs FY14)
• 1.5 billion site visits (22.8% vs FY14)
• 55 million transactions (6.5% vs FY14)
• 3 million/day average visitors
• 55th most visited site USA2
• 239th most visited site world2
1. Source – USPS metrics (except where2)
2. Source – Alexa, 10/01/15)Flickr: Cha Cha

11. USPS.com traffic last week1
:
(Wednesday - Sunday, same days as #IAS16)
• 10,146,208 browsers
• 20,098,085 visits
• 50,318,176 page views
1. Source – USPS metrics
Flickr: Cha Cha

12. How do you communicate?
Universal

13. Create a
shared
vocabulary?
Contempo III Productions

14. 1. Findable
2. Accessible
3. Clear
4. Communicative
5. Useful
6. Credible
7. Controllable
8. Valuable
9. Learnable
Adopt (@abby_the_ia ’s) 10 IA Heuristics
And…
10.Delightful
(Like Abby)
#fanboy
@abby_the_ia

15. Know your tools, organize them, be their captain
Tested

16. Always
Be
Knolling
(Bullet #8)
Wikipedia: Sachs

17. Have a: plan / menu / approach 500px: Juan Carlos Salas

18. Socialize the
process
Go around
the table
Columbia

19. Adopt a Continuous Improvement Cycle
Galleria del Cembalo: Gilbert Garcin

20. Iterate, make a (flexible) schedule Mashable: Rob Godshaw
Mashable: Rob Godshaw

21. Sit in on the painful
meetings and calls
Polycom

22. Make friends
with the
agency
AMC

23. Give the agency a seat at the cubes
Warner Bros.

24. Accept that sometimes UX isn’t involved
Polycom

25. You may be a rock star, but you’re
probably not royalty
Me: my phone

26. Don’t be afraid to freak
people out a bit

27. Position UX as a champion
for related disciplines

28. Don’t miss a mailbox

29. Your utility belt
is more useful
than you think

30. o USPS
o Aquilent
o IA Summit (& ASIS&T)
o All the IAS volunteers
o UXCamp DC & UXPA DC
o All the moms
(did you send yours a card?)
Thank
you +:
Flickr: Nicholsa Lopez

31. Adopting IA Heuristics and
Iterative UX Reviews: A
USPS.COM Case Study
IA Summit 2016
Atlanta, Georgia
May 8, 2016
Smithsonian Postal Museum

32. Appendix 1: Disclaimers
I, Jeffrey Ryan Pass, being of questionably sound mind
and clearly aging body am hereby:
• Speaking as a practitioner
• Not representing USPS
• Not representing Aquilent
• Not, technically, presenting a “case study”
Additionally:
• My opinions are my own
• I like film and music…a lot (you’ll see)
• I curse and sometimes go dark places but I’m trying to
keep both in check for today’s presentation
• Full image cites and notes in appendix
*
Smithsonian Postal Museum

33. Appendix 2: Images & Notes (1/5)
The “Bird in the Box”, the USPS logo (sans
logotype). Source – USPS Help on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ uspshelp
“Me at Work”, In front of the USPS headquarters
building at L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, DC.
Source – my phone
Ex (emphasis on ex) postal workers do the
darnedest things; “Photos: Small aircraft lands
on Capitol Lawn”. Source – WTOP (DC news
radio):
http://wtop.com/local/2015/04/photos-
small-aircraft-lands-on-capitol-lawn/slide/13/
Uncropped/unaltered images shown. Links valid as of 05.07.2016. Notes may or may not relate to images or slides or my rantings.
“Lance Armstrong” riding as part of the (then)
USPS Cycling Team. Source – Paolo Cocco
(AFP/Getty Images) via KUT.org (Austin news
radio): http://kut.org/post/next-lance-
armstrong-post-confession-court-cases
An old USPS delivery Jeep shot on “Day 51”.
Source – JudeanPeoplesFront (Gordon) on
Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/79538023@N
00/1361662255
“The haunted hallways of the Overlook Hotel.”
Source – Warner Bros. via Cultura Inquieta:
http://culturainquieta.com/en/foto/item/6643-
stanley-kubrick-a-visual-analysis-of-his-film-
inspirations.html
The classic “1963 Jeep Custom Mail Van”
reworked and souped-up. Source – Barrett-
Jackson: http://www.barrett-
jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1963-JEEP-
CUSTOM-MAIL-VAN-162905
“Modded US Mail Jeep”, a classic Jeep mail
delivery vehicle all tricked out. Source – Down
ShiftRecords on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5336lazelcQ

34. Appendix 2: Images & Notes (2/5)
Uncropped/unaltered images shown. Links valid as of 05.07.2016. Notes may or may not relate to images or slides or my rantings.
Still from “Lost in Translation”. Source –
Universal via The Daily Beast:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/201
3/09/12/sofia-coppola-discusses-lost-in-
translation-on-its-10th-anniversary.html
There is a weird sub-culture of people that like to
create a “USPS Hot Rod” from old mail delivery
vehicles. Source – RZ02 on PhotoBucket:
http://bit.ly/1UmFirv
Impression from the “Mr. Zip” rubber stamp (ink
on paper). Source – cha cha (stamps) on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scooterfox/album
s/72157607769551951
“Abby_Headshot_Long”, from Abby’s press kit
then manipulated by Madeo Studio. Abby gets
the largest image for obvious reasons (image
orientation, of course). Source –Madeo
Studio:
http://madeostudio.com/tag/information-
architecture/
Read more about Abby’s 10 IA heuristics:
Does IT Have Legs? Information Architecture
Heuristics for Interaction Designers
Still from “Incubus (1966)”, the first, and as far
as I know only major film made in Esparanto.
Source – Contempo III Productionsl via The
A.V. Club:
http://www.avclub.com/article/incubus-1966-
47347
"Adam's 'Star Trek' Captain's Chair.” Source -
Tested via Popular Mechanics:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/t
v/a15581/adam-savage-star-trek-captains-
chair/

35. Appendix 2: Images & Notes (3/5)
Uncropped/unaltered images shown. Links valid as of 05.07.2016. Notes may or may not relate to images or slides or my rantings.
“The War Room”, Columbia Pictures via Military
History Monthly: http://www.military-
history.org/articles/war-on-film-dr-
strangelove.htm
The “Human Hamster Wheel Could Be the
Ultimate Standing Desk”. Source – Rob Godshaw
via Mashable:
http://mashable.com/2014/09/25/human-
hamster-wheel-standing-desk/#QZlxZLyblEqi
Official studio photo from “Mad Men Season 5”.
Source – AMC: http://www.amc.com/shows/mad-
men/talk/2012/03/season-5-studio-photos
“Polycom SoundStation2.” Source – Polycom:
http://www.polycom.com/products-
services/voice/conferencing-
solutions/conferencing-
phones/soundstation2.html
“Le moulin de l’oubli.” Source – Gilbert Garcin
via Galleria del Cembalo:
http://www.galleriadelcembalo.it/eng/garcin/
Facsimile of the “Washington Post Newsroom”.
Source – Warner Bros. via Cinema Style on
Blogspot: http://bit.ly/1YVW67Z
“Dr. Strangelove: Plan R” photographed at the
Stanley Kubrick Exhibition (see it at all possible; it
directly addresses many issues close to IA). Source
– Juan Carlos Salas via 500px:
http://www.military-history.org/articles/war-on-
film-dr-strangelove.htm
"How To Knoll.“ Source – Tom Sachs via
Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoll_(verb)
See also 10 Bullets by Tom Sachs (Bullet #8)

36. Appendix 2: Images & Notes (4/5)
Uncropped/unaltered images shown. Links valid as of 05.07.2016. Notes may or may not relate to images or slides or my rantings.
“Batman ‘66 (Hot Toys)”, The Figure In
Question:
https://thefigureinquestion.wordpress.com/ta
g/hot-toys/
BTW, collecting, pristine, in-package, is all fine
an good, but please… play with toys too!
“Rural Mailboxes in Southern California.”
Source - Jeff Dowler CRS via ActiveRain:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/3485794/rur
al-mailboxes-in-southern-california
“Beautiful Little Prince Illustrations.” Source –
Kim Min Ji via Bumbles and Fairy-Tales:
http://bumblesandfairytales.tumblr.com/post/
119570303205/87-mm-beautiful-the-little-
prince-illustrations
Help to show people “to the seat with the
clearest view”, “David Bowie – Life on Mars?”
Source – EMI Music via Vevo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v--
IqqusnNQ
“Remembering the Purple One”, at the
American Film Institute (AFI) Silver Prince
Remembrance showing of Purple Rain: my
phone. Support the AFI and AFI Silver Theater.
“Freddy Mercury.” Source – Dave Lifton for
Queen Rock Band on Blogspot:
http://queenrockband.blogspot.com/2012_10
_01_archive.html
“Princess Leia – Sending Message to Obi Wan
Using USPS.” Source – Nicholsa Lopez on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholaslopez/179
6998213

37. Appendix 2: Images & Notes (5/5)
Uncropped/unaltered images shown. Links valid as of 05.07.2016. Notes may or may not relate to images or slides or my rantings.
“Mr. Zip Don't Tie Up.” Source – Smithsonian
Postal Museum:
http://postalmuseum.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/p6
.html
“Mr. Zip Air Parcel Post.” Source – Smithsonian
Postal Museum:
http://postalmuseum.si.edu/zipcodecampaign/p5
.html
The “iasummit prius” logo. Only bigger. Source –
IA Summit:
http://www.iasummit.org/themes/iasummit_priu
s/logo.png