SmartLocker - Reducing missed deliveries in high-rise buildings with a smart Interface

Project Overview

  • Timeline: 12 weeks (3-month sprint)

  • Role: Lead UX/UI Designer

  • Team: Product Manager, 2 Engineers, Concierge Liaison

  • Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, UserTesting.com, Google Forms

  • Platform: Touchscreen Kiosk Interface (Physical Device UX)

Summary

SmartLocker is an interactive self-service kiosk designed to simplify and secure package delivery and pickup in multi-residential buildings. Daily deliveries from Amazon, food apps, and courier services were overwhelming concierge staff, while residents struggled with missed or misplaced packages.

I led the UX design from scratch — conducting deep discovery, cross-user interviews, competitive analysis, and prototyping. The result was a dual-flow kiosk that reduces errors, improves speed, and balances the needs of residents, couriers, and property managers.

Business Objectives

  • Reduce concierge workload by automating package handling

  • Enable secure, reliable resident pickups with no staff involvement

  • Standardize courier drop-off across all delivery services

  • Digitally log all transactions to reduce tracking errors

  • Provide mobile notification sync and tracking via resident apps

The Problem

“Packages were piling up, and front-desk staff were overwhelmed.”

In high-rise condo lobbies, daily deliveries were creating chaos. Without a reliable system, packages were often misplaced, stolen, or stored in random backrooms. Residents experienced frustration, and concierge staff spent hours every day answering delivery-related inquiries.

Key Pain Points:

  • Residents: Missed deliveries, long pickup delays, poor communication

  • Couriers: Inconsistent instructions, lack of standardized flow

  • Concierge Staff: Endless phone calls, manual logging, delivery confusion

UX Methods & Tools Used

UX Research

Research Goals

  • Understand how packages move from courier to resident

  • Identify friction in physical handoffs and digital record-keeping

  • Validate different users’ mental models and flow expectations

Methods Used

  • 👥 Stakeholder Interviews

    • 4 Couriers (Amazon, FedEx, DHL, Canada Post)

    • 4 Residents (age 22–56, various tech literacy)

    • 3 Concierge Staff

    • 1 Building Operations Manager

  • 📍 Field Observation: Watched 2 days of package traffic in lobby

  • 🧠 Competitive Analysis: Reviewed 5+ smart locker competitors

  • 🗺️ Journey Mapping & Stakeholder Mapping

“I waste 5–10 minutes per delivery just waiting for staff.” — Courier

“Sometimes my packages are in a random storage room.” — Resident

“I get 20+ calls per shift about deliveries.” — Concierge

Personas Created

  • Courier Carlos – prioritizes speed and minimal steps

  • Resident Rachel – needs visibility and secure access

  • Concierge Cindy – overloaded with package tracking

Design Process

Ideation & Trade-offs

We explored and tested flow options across both user types:

  • Courier Drop-Off: Prioritized minimal form fields and clear locker mapping

  • Resident Pickup: Focused on speed and clarity with QR scanning, auto-fill, and large CTAs

Core Design Trade-Off:

⚡ Speed vs. 🔢 Data Accuracy

Wireframes & Mid-Fidelity

  • Courier Flow:

    Welcome → Scan Package → Enter Recipient → Confirm Drop

  • Resident Flow:

    Notification → Identity Verification → Open Locker → Confirm Pickup

Tools:

Sketches → Wireflows → Mid-Fi Clickable Prototypes (Figma)

User Testing

Usability Testing Conducted:

  • 3 in-person tests in the building lobby

  • 2 remote tests with clickable prototypes (residents)

  • Iteration loops weekly across 3 sprint checkpoints

Key Findings:

  • Couriers needed clear locker mapping and larger buttons

  • Residents preferred color-coded CTAs over icons alone

  • QR auto-fill reduced input errors for residents by 50%

  • Concierges appreciated the digital dashboard for oversight

High-Fidelity UI / Prototypes

  • Resident Welcome Screen

  • Courier Entry Flow with quick scan + recipient auto-fill

  • Confirmation UI with accessibility-enhanced icons

  • Pickup Screen with optional QR + code entry

  • Mobile Companion Flow for push notifications and tracking

Visual Features:

  • 48px+ tap targets

  • WCAG 2.1 color contrast

  • Language-neutral iconography

  • Light & dark mode testing

    Outcomes & Impact

    • 70% reduction in concierge support calls

    • 400+ successful pickups in 6 weeks post-launch

    • Deployed across 3 pilot buildings with plan for broader rollout

    • Courier satisfaction improved through reduced wait time and fewer support calls

      “Residents love the speed. Our staff finally has breathing room.” — Building Manager

    Reflection

    This project strengthened my ability to:

    • Design at the intersection of physical and digital UX

    • Create inclusive, frictionless flows for two very different user types

    • Run rapid, on-site validation cycles for real-world feedback

    • Balance the operational needs of buildings with user experience simplicity