Notifications Platform

Driving UX innovation across global notifications systems

Notifications are a critical tool which enable communication for products. Our platform sent huge volumes of notifications across products every month which enabled completion of user tasks and delivery of important information for our users. Product and engineering teams relied on our team to provide documentation and components that were flexible and could be easily leveraged within their respective verticals.

As the UX Manager, I was accountable for leading my team in design and strategy as we executed projects across all notifications channels (SMS, Mobile, Web, Email) which delivered of hundreds of millions of notifications each month to our users.

My role

My role was to work with stakeholders to understand the product roadmap and business needs, help drive UX strategy within the platform, prioritize projects and provide guidance and coaching to designers in their work.

In my time being accountable for design work for the platform, I drove our team towards a more comprehensive, long-term vision while overseeing the completion of projects on the product roadmap. My objective was to refine our understanding of platform goals and build scalable patterns that could be leveraged by cross functional teams across the business.

I led UX teams in the redesign of email notifications to make communications clearer and more engaging, revamped admin configuration tools to streamline management processes, modernized the notifications center to improve functionality, and drove future vision and alignment through proactive cross-functional collaboration.

Platform team goals

Redesigning email notifications

Focused on enhancing user experience and updating our templates to reflect our new design system, our lead designer redesigned our email notifications by researching industry standards and gathering user insights. This approach guided our decisions and ensured we created a user-centric and consistent notifications experience across the platform.

I oversaw the initial redesign of our email notification templates, providing visual design guidance and ensuring the project aligned with our broader UX goals. In this follow-up phase, I worked closely with the design team to refine and optimize our approach, offering direction on low-fidelity and iterative design, guiding the templating process, and collaborating with the product team to meet MVP requirements.

Project phases

1. Research. Conducted research and compiled feedback
2. Design. Developed components and designed new templates
3. Feedback & Testing. Iterated and tested for compatibility
4. Launch. Launch new templates to millions of users
5. Documentation. Created guidelines and updated best practices

Revamping admin configuration tools

Users were struggling with the outdated admin configuration tool for notifications, which was difficult to use and no longer aligned with our new design system. We received numerous requests from clients for improvements, highlighting the need for a comprehensive overhaul. To address these issues, we removed outdated functionality and conducted extensive stakeholder interviews and usability tests to understand pain points and opportunities.

I ensured the project was grounded in thorough research and followed a holistic design process. I provided coaching to the design team, guiding them through each phase, and we ultimately delivered a user-centered solution that significantly enhanced both efficiency and usability.

Project phases

1. Research: Conducted generative research and competitive analysis
2. User Flows: Created user flows and wireframes for MVP
3. Hi-Fi Mockups: Designed high-fidelity mockups and prototype
4. Testing: Planned and conducted usability testing
5. Refinement: Updated designs based on testing feedback

Modernizing the notifications center

The notification center had become outdated, with users facing challenges in navigation and interaction due to legacy design elements. Our new design system required a fresh, modern approach, and client feedback indicated a strong demand for improved functionality and user experience. To modernize the notification center, we started by gathering insights through stakeholder interviews and conducting usability tests to pinpoint key areas for improvement.

I oversaw the team as we went through a user-centered design process, ensuring alignment with our updated design system and mobile teams. By focusing on both the visual and functional aspects, we transformed the notification center into a more intuitive and efficient tool, enhancing the overall user experience.

Project phases

1. Discovery. Conducted UI audits and reviewed client feedback
2. Design Concepting. Explored new design solutions
3. Prototyping. Created interactive prototypes
4. Launch. Launch updated experience globally across products

Shaping future vision and alignment

Having a vision and strategy for the platform was critical as we continued to grow as a company and add more users to the system. Alignment with product, UX, and engineering was essential to achieving our goals. I led collaborative workshops, partnering closely with my designer to address challenges such as the scattered and hard-to-consume documentation accumulated over the years. We needed to respond to leadership feedback about what “good” looks like and address platform questions, including documenting end-to-end processes. Despite the groundwork already completed, it was crucial to organize and communicate this information effectively without rehashing old questions.

In these brainstorming sessions, we focused on refining our understanding of key assumptions and exploring new opportunities. By fostering a collaborative environment, we were able to align our vision and strategies across teams. This collective effort not only clarified our direction but also ensured that all perspectives were integrated into our approach, ultimately leading to a more cohesive and forward-looking strategy for the platform.

Leadership impact & conclusion

My team delivered major improvements and innovations, enhancing both the client-facing experience and internal tooling. We tackled key challenges and implemented enhancements and full redesigns that positively impacted both user and administrative experiences.

Leading the UX for our global notifications system was an awesome opportunity to lead a very talented team in a complex workspace with wide reaching impact.

We tackled key issues and made our experiences more user-friendly and delightful. By staying focused on our goals and pushing hard for collaboration and shared ownership with different teams, we improved how notifications work and look, making life easier for both internal users and clients. Overall, our efforts set a solid foundation for future growth and better communication across the board.