In-app notifications
To support the huge personalisation piece, in-app notifcations would be needed as a key communications channel. Push notifcations are too itrusive to support the volume of comms needed. Email loses some of the context of time, location, gamification etc. In-app notifcations however would be the goldilocks sweet spot.
Do our users differentiate between push and in-app notifications?
No. Except for a few tech savy students, they talk about them as the same thing. For this reason we considered a system that could send content by push and in-app as an option, or separately.
Research insights
Types of notifcation
Ideation
Using the insights from surveys and secondary research we were able to take this into cross discipline ideation workshops and sketching sessions to come up with initial ideas.
Where should these notifcations live?
As a primary communications channel it took centre stage on the app and web interface.
Card structure
Priorities
Pull to refresh
Feedback
Delete -vs- no delete
iOS navigation
Android navigation
User feedback
After capturing the success/failure of usability tasks we asked the users if there was anything missing. We then listened and sketched with them to capture their feedback.
Users asked for
- Undo delted notifcations
- Keep list of deleted notifs
- Personalised notifs
- Granular preference settings
- 'Save for later' to use as bookmarks
- Folders to organise saved notifs
- High priority notifs to stand out more
Iteration
After gaining feedback we updated our prototypes and kept iterating and fleshing out the details, moving closer to a viable final prototype.
Timestamping format
Empty states
Red dot behaviour
Preferences
At this stage preferences were sketched out and explored preference settings to decide if they were necessary or not. We considered them not vital for an initial release.
Large cards
Created to draw more attention using a larger size and striking UI, these alternative cards were also explored but considered not vital for initial release.
Design for initial launch
Work examples
