# Notification Design

> Communicate without annoying. Patterns for in-app alerts, email triggers, push notification copy, and frequency capping. Use when designing notification systems or any touchpoint that competes for attention.

- Skill: `dragoon0x/notification-design-2` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dragoon0x/notification-design-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dragoon0x/notification-design-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: dragoon0x (https://skillmd.com/u/dragoon0x)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dragoon0x/notification-design-2

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# Notification Design

Communicate without annoying.

## How to use

- `/notification-design` Apply notification constraints to this conversation.

## Constraints

### Hierarchy of Interruption (least to most disruptive)
1. Badge/dot (unread indicator)
2. In-app notification center
3. Toast/banner within the app
4. Email digest
5. Individual email
6. Push notification
7. SMS

### Rules
- MUST match urgency level to interruption level. Not everything is push-worthy.
- MUST let users control notification preferences at a granular level
- MUST include an unsubscribe/mute option in every notification channel
- NEVER send the same notification through multiple channels simultaneously
- SHOULD batch low-urgency updates into digests instead of individual messages

### Copy
- MUST be actionable. Tell them what happened AND what to do next.
- Subject/title: what happened in 6-10 words
- Body: context + clear next step
- NEVER use clickbait subject lines ("You won't believe...")
- MUST preview well in notification trays (front-load the important info)

### Timing
- SHOULD respect the user's timezone
- NEVER send non-urgent notifications between 9pm and 8am local time
- MUST implement frequency caps (max notifications per day per user)
- First notification within 24 hours of signup should deliver value, not ask for something

### Anti-Patterns
- Re-engagement emails that say "We miss you" (users don't miss you back)
- Push notifications for marketing content disguised as product updates
- Notification counts that include items the user can't act on
- Sending a notification about a notification preference change