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Backfill · 2023

#180 of 420

USPS Informed Delivery

seq 4
ObserverCrisis/seasonal responsesocial_civicpositive
clever solutionheritage legacy
NoticingWho to Listen ToFeeling HopefulActionExplore5/9
USPS
ImagePress/product shot

Press shot: an email screenshot showing USPS Informed Delivery notifications with grayscale scans of 3 incoming mail pieces, each showing the front of an envelope with addresses partially visible.

93 words

USPS Informed Delivery sends a grayscale scan of every piece of mail heading to your address before it arrives. Seeing an envelope image in your email at 7 am turns the mailbox from a mystery into a predictable event. The system uses scans the postal service already captures for automated sorting. No new technology was needed, just a decision to share existing data with recipients. Scans are low resolution but readable enough to identify a bill, a card, or junk mail. Knowing what's coming lets you decide whether a trip to the mailbox is worth the walk.