Design Research Programs of the United States Postal Service

Since 1985, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has been engaged in a significant design research program which is changing the way facility standards and designs are developed, refined and communicated. This paper reports on the overall research program and briefly describes three of the major components which have been completed to date. These include a study of the image of post office buildings, evaluations of demonstration and "baseline" retail lobbies, and the development of retail design guidelines. Future directions for the program are also noted.