Changing history — how mail is delivered across Australia

Australia Post

Australia Post faced a significant structural challenge: mail volumes had been declining for years, creating a projected loss of $750m. To respond, the organisation introduced a 2 speed letter service: a new 'regular' delivery timetable, alongside a higher priced 'priority' service that maintained existing speed but required an additional label.

Given the scale and sensitivity of the change, customer confusion posed a major risk. We were engaged to apply a human-centred design approach to identify customer needs, test comprehension, and redesign communications to support behaviour change at scale.

Outcomes

• Ran 3 phases of customer experimentation, testing understanding, sentiment, and usability
• Explored customer reactions to pricing, speed changes, and labelling requirements
• Redesigned the priority label booklet using customer facing language and "just enough" information
• Achieved a 100% success rate on the amended booklet design (up from 86%)
• Delivered a consolidated messaging framework for consistent national communications