Respect attention
Many things are happening. Which ones should interrupt a person?
Only the ones that need a decision. Keep everything else quiet and easy to find later.
Try it
Needs you
How to design it
- 1
Start quiet
Show finished work in a calm list. No sounds, no badges.
- 2
Use amber only for action
A small amber dot means a person has to do something. Nothing else gets it.
- 3
Put the urgent row first
Items that need a person go at the top, with a clear button.
- 4
Clear it when done
Once the person acts, the dot goes away.
Do and avoid
Do
- Say why a person is needed, in a few words.
- Group finished items together.
- Let people choose how often they hear from you.
- Remove a prompt once it is answered.
Avoid
- Do not use amber for good news or tips.
- Do not alert for every finished task.
- Do not stack several pop-ups at once.
- Do not nag with the same reminder.
Why it works
People have a limited amount of attention. When everything calls for it, they stop noticing any of it. If the tool only speaks up when it truly needs them, they learn that a dot means something and they act on it.