Notifications are an essential part of the user experience, as they can either make or break it. So, we will explore the strategies that UI UX designers can apply in order to have successful and enjoyable notifications.
In the age of technology, information travels at a faster level than ever before. If in the past decades, we would use the expression of being one click away from finding something out, we have now moved toward a new chapter in the digital era. We are now basically surrounded by information that is coming our way even in the absence of our intent of finding it.
If we look back on what the common perception 50 years ago was about how the state of technology would be in the future, we may notice that they did get some of the predictions right about today’s societal landscape. When was the last time you could go a day without checking your phone or opening your smart TV to unwind after a work day? Even if you would have liked to take a break, you probably had many important things to do, whether they were business or family-related, that needed some piece of technology. Well, you get my point.
From the high-tech video billboards on the buildings of our cities to the ads that pop up when we are casually scrolling on our favorite social media apps, it seems as if the content is inescapable. But one of the most frequent and common ways in which data is transmitted to us, the users, by technology, is through message notifications.
Notifications make our lives easier and generate a good user experience for our digital platforms. Think about it, new technology has made our lives easier but at the same time we are surrounded by digital platforms only one click away from us at all times. So, scrolling through endless apps without knowing what happens within their interfaces can only cause a bad user experience, triggering FOMO (fear of missing out) – and no UI UX designer wants that. So, there is where notifications come into play and help us deliver the good user experience we want our potential visitors to have.
These user interface elements have the role of showing a system update to the user. This update can be related to many subjects, from a new feature for your smartphone to a notification received from a social media platform or to a message received from your friend. Notifications can vary based on a number of different factors.
- Importance Level – Based on their level of priority, notifications can come in different forms. From critical system updates that should not be ignored by the users to messages that have lower importance, such as a weather forecast notification.
- How they are triggered – Based on the method in which they are triggered, notifications can take two shapes. The first one is the user-triggered notifications, which are activated by an action that was performed by the user.
- Channel – Based on the channel that notifications are using we have in-app notifications and external notifications that need to use external channels.
Notifications are usually built using 4 main elements that have the purpose of making them stand out.
- Header – Also encountered as the title is of the UI UX element should be the main focus. The attention of the user should come to the title of the notification and help them see the insight or information that is shared.
- Body – This is also known as the description of the notification. With this part of the UI UX design element, we have the ability to offer helpful information and help the user have a better user experience. Yet, you should keep in mind that the description from your notification should be under 40 characters long. Otherwise, you may risk being ignored, after all – no one wants to read an endless notification.
- CTA – A call to action is always welcomed, even more so when it comes to a notification. We have the option of sharing an important piece of information and letting the user interact with the action that is mentioned. It can either be a “Send”, “Buy”, “Complete” and so on. So, make sure you offer enough space in order for the user to have the ability to access and click your CTAs.
- Icon – Even though icons are not all the time necessary, they are a great addition to the UI UX design. So, next time you are letting your user know that an incoming message is approaching you can include an icon or an avatar to make the user experience better.
We at uinkits understand the importance of great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.
“You press the button, we do the rest.” – Kodak.
Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.
Our design system includes UI components, icons, variables, cards, buttons and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!
