notification-system-design

Notification System Design

Multi-Channel Architecture

Channel	Urgency	User Control
In-app toast	Low	Auto-dismiss
In-app notification center	Medium	Read/dismiss
Email	Medium	Unsubscribe per category
Push notification	High	OS-level control
SMS	Critical	Opt-in only

Notification Center

• Accessible from persistent icon in header
• Badge count for unread (red dot or number)
• Grouped by type or time
• Mark individual or all as read
• Click to navigate to relevant context
• Filter: All, Unread, by category
• Settings link: manage notification preferences

Rules

1. Default to minimal: only essential notifications enabled
2. Group related notifications (not one per event)
3. Respect quiet hours
4. Easy to manage: per-category, per-channel toggles
5. Never send marketing without explicit opt-in
6. Include unsubscribe in every email