Mobile Design Pattern: Notifications
Notification mechanisms are an essential part for any mobile device. Devices have events like Call, SMS, e-mail and bluetooth request. An efficient notification mechanism gives user easy and fast access to events. This article outlines some of the different ways by which one can provide notifications.
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Symbol Based Notification
In this mechanism any event's notification is provided with displaying some symbol in notification area. We can divide this in two categories:
Interactive
In this case, user can directly have interaction with the Notification symbols. By selecting notification user can directly go to its service section where he/she can handle event which has cause the notification. This is very effective in case of touch input based devices.
Figure: shows a touch based interactive notification.
Non-Interactive
In this case, on occurrence of event user can see symbols in notification area, but can't have any interaction with it. User will get notified regarding the event but he/she needs to go to notification related service area by himself or herself and handle the event.
Figure: shows Non-interactive symbolic notification.
- Advantage of Symbol based notification is, it doesn't interfere with user other activities and can be present all through out while user is doing some thing else.
Menu Based Notification
These are interactive notification. It is generally shown on main screen of device. User can either service it or cancel it.
Figure: shows an interactive menu based notification.
- The disadvantage of using this notification mechanism is that it interfere with the use other activity. User have to cancel or service notification to remove it form screen.
Pop-up Based Notification
This kind of notification is generally used for those events which needs urgent servicing, for example incoming call or incoming bluetooth connection request.
Figure: shows a pop-up based notification for incoming call.
Quick Response via Notification
By adding this functionality to notification system, user experience can be taken one more step ahead. Here user will be directly provided with the ways he/she can respond to event.
Figure: shows notification linked with the ways, user can respond to event.
Audio and Vibration Notification
This mechanism is very effective in attracting user's focus towards the event. Generally this mechanism is mixed with the above mentioned systems.
