Offering Zalando Lounge customers a more convenient way to return
How might we
help make the return process easier for users by eliminating the need to print a return label?
Project Overview
Problem
Since Zalando Lounge did not offer printed return slips in parcels, customers often complained about how printing a return label themselves is a hassle for them.
Solution
Due to business constraints and sustainability initiatives, we couldn’t simply offer return slips in every parcel. Thus, we worked with our logistic stakeholders and delivery partners to utilize digital barcodes where users can bring their parcel to a post office or parcel shop to scan their digital return code and have a return slip printed for them.
Task
Design the experience users go through to create their digital return codes that complements the current return flow.
Discover
Research: User surveys
We collaborated with the market research team to create this survey to understand how users view the return process on Zalando Lounge.
Sample size: 1,188 participants
Sample description: Customers that successfully returned an item within the past four weeks
Timeframe: 1 week
Research goals
We wanted to learn about the following:
customers’ satisfaction with the return flow
customers’ perception of home pick-ups of returns
customers’ attitudes towards sustainability
Insights
70% of participants agreed that providing a printed return label in the parcel would improve the return process
Participants said having a printed return label would increase convenience as well as many participants do not have private printers at home
Desk Research
We conducted desk research to understand best practices when designing a return flow for customers. We also looked into how various carriers such as Hermes, Colissimo, and PostNord work with printer-free returns. During this time, we aligned with our logistic stakeholders to understand their timeline and constraints.
Baymard
65% of sites do not provide users with an easy way to save the return label at the end of the return flow
Testing revealed that many users will not print the label when they complete the return shipping process, thus, we should make the return label/QR code easily accessible on our product/send to users emails so they can refer to it later.
Colissimo
Competitor Analysis
Upon beginning our competitor research, it was clear that the use of QR code returns were not very widespread among other e-commerce sites. Our sister company, Zalando FS, has yet to dig deeper into this method of returns either, so as Zalando Lounge, we would be quite innovative if we provide this solution to benefit our customers.
Competitors analyzed
Amazon (USA)
ASOS (UK)
TopShop (UK)
We reviewed the return flows of the above companies and noted pros and cons.
Takeaways
Clearly explain how the digital return label works contextually within the return flow and on a help page
Show users where they can bring their digital return code and parcel
Provide the return barcode to users after completion of the return flow and via email so they can refer to it later
Define
Personas & job stories
My team and I selected two of our personas to focus our design efforts on. We chose Emilia the Enhancer, who hunts for good deals and shops often on Zalando Lounge, and Farah the Fashionista, who carefully considers her choices and may be less familiar with the return process.
Reviewing their behaviors on Zalando Lounge, we crafted two job stories with different focuses. Then we created problem statements for each with possible solutions so that we ensure we design for both types of users.
Task flow
We created a task flow of how users currently return via printing the return slips on their own and added the new digital barcode return option in order to clearly see an overview of both features.
User flow
A user flow was helpful to visualize the current return flow and make note of considerations.
UX Copy
We crafted the initial messaging shown onsite within the new feature in the return flow. We tried to follow the best practices discovered during desk research and competitor analysis as well as aligned to our tone and voice guidelines. After creating the initial UX copy and designs, we collaborated with the copywriting team to enhance it further.
Design
High-fidelity wireframes
When we moved into the design phase, we understood that we needed to:
Allow users to select between the two options: to print their own return slip or email a return barcode
Explain the two different return options: before they enter the return flow and during the process
Help users locate where they can use their return barcode
Each screen moving further right shows what the user will see as they scroll down
Internal usability testing
We begun by conducting usability tests with 5 colleagues that shop at Zalando Lounge. Working with user researchers, we created a research plan and research guide to follow during usability tests.
Research goals
We created 5 assumptions we sought to validate:
Assumption 1: Users see the printer-less return option at the end of the return flow
Assumption 2: Users understand the process for returning with the barcode
Assumption 3: Users don't face any UX problems while completing the return and next steps are clear to them
Assumption 4: Users want to have the barcode both via email and in the order detail page (or order overview - to discover with the test)
Assumption 5: We receive high level positive feedback on the unique selling points (USPs)
Key insights
Overall, after the tests, we found that these assumptions were true, but there were a few things that needed to be improved on the screens. For example, on the return success screen, 2 out of 5 users thought the header was another option and did not notice that we emailed them the barcode automatically. Thus, we thought the information on the screen was not clearly structured enough.
Using the insights from the 5 tests, we posed these “how might we” questions:
HMW make the printer-free return more prominent?
HMW help users understand where the barcode is?
HMW make the instructions more straight to the point and less text heavy
HMW explain to users which post offices they can return their parcels to?
HMW allow users to download / save the barcode at the end of the return flow?
HMW have a look and feel that supports the innovative new return option?
Then, we discussed how we could solve those questions and further iterated on the designs.
External usability testing
Using our learnings from the internal usability tests, we revised our designs. We learned from the backend developers that for this initial release we couldn’t store the barcode onsite, so hopefully users would be fine with receiving the barcode via email. Thus, we also revised our assumptions.
Assumption 1: Users notice that there are 2 return options, one of which works without a printer.
Assumption 2: Users understand the end-to-end process for returning with the barcode (where barcode is, next steps are clear)
Assumption 3: Users find the explanation and flow understandable and easy to read
Assumption 4: Users are fine having the barcode only via email
Assumption 5: We receive high level positive feedback on the (universal selling point) USP and the majority of testers choose the barcode option
Key insights
We released the unmoderated usability test on UserZoom and received 13 completions from participants in Germany. We validated our assumptions and found that:
60% of users stated they would prefer to use this option in the future
40% of users said they would still print their return slip (because they have access to a printer)
Pros: Nearly 80% of participants said the printer-free barcode was convenient and all users completed the flow with few issues (other than minor prototype hiccups).
Cons: 83% of participants expected to see a map with locations where they can get their return barcodes scanned and drop-off their parcel. Unfortunately, due to technical constraints at this time, we can only offer a link to the carrier’s site to search for nearby locations.
Deliver
Finalize & handover
After making minor changes on the design based off the external usability tests, we moved forward to finalize the UI designs. We worked with our design system (DS) team to determine if the new components (for example, the “How it works” accordion) we designed could be improved before adding it to the DS. We then handed over the designs to the developers during a handover meeting to discuss the interactions in more detail.
A/B test & results
We launched the new feature in one of our markets that we thought would be the safest to test in while still gathering enough insight. After 4 weeks, we discovered that the test had promising results as measured by our success KPIs: calls to customer service related to returns decreased and there were no issues with the new return flow.
Additionally, to check customer satisfaction, we asked users a few questions onsite as they completed the return flow. We received several qualitative feedback from users that used this new feature along the lines of:
“It’s great to be able to print the return label at the post office!”
Due to the good results, we will further work with our Logistics stakeholders to release this feature to other markets.
