Target Outcome #1: A kick-ass notifications system that is the beating heart of the Madison platform, delivering users targeted, fully-personalized alerts to important way-points in the policy development process or when other users interact with them, issues they choose to follow, their generated content, etc.
Target Outcome #2: Complete user control with baked in alert preference selection at every step of the process, from signup to each time a user logs in and navigates throughout the site, passively consuming content or actively contributing it.
Target Outcome #3: Alert delivery across every platform and device commonly used to access the Internet or communicate.
Design Philosophy
Alerts are precious, individual and highly-personal forms of communication. Often, they are the crucial catalyst for action - timely reminders that custom-fit you are what get things done, and provide an indispensable reminder to users who lead busy personal and professional lives. If the alert system isn't righteous, a platform like Madison loses significant utility.
The functionality, durability and personalization of the notifications system should reflect its central importance to the rest of the features and platform. Full user control - at every step of the process - is a must. Each time a user engages with the platform, he or she should be able to choose whether, when and how they would like to be notified with a follow-up nudge. Err on the side of a missed notification versus spamming. Throughout, users are reminded that they control and decide on their own alerts - and that they will be notified of things "outside" of their own alert menu only in very infrequent, very "big deal" circumstances.
Overview
The pillars of the notifications system are answers to these three central questions:
What is the alert about?
How is the alert delivered?
When is the alert delivered?
What is the Alert About?
A question the user submitted is answered
A message/comment has been received/read/opened
A comment or edit is commented or edited by another user
A comment or edit is upvoted/downvoted (?)
Another user sends you a message
A new feature/system update is deployed
Content is added to the community that, based on a user's other interests, should be of interest.
A tracked item or issue approaches/is at/moves beyond key policymaking waypoints (votes, hearings, etc)
A user's contributed content is shared within or outside of the platform via social media, email, etc.
A comment/suggested is accepted into the policy document by its author
Content drafted from scratch of which the user is primarily responsible is viewed/supported/commented upon
Daily/weekly/monthly summaries of the items/issues/activity of each user.
"Real world" events are scheduled relating to issues/items a user is tracking or working on
A user's "democracy karma" bank statement
How is the Alert Delivered?
Text message
Email
Twitter (public reply or direct message)
Facebook message
Google+ public reply
LinkedIn message
Snail mail
A pop up or alert bar when the user next logs into Madison
cmbirk
commented
10 years ago
Target Outcome #1: A kick-ass notifications system that is the beating heart of the Madison platform, delivering users targeted, fully-personalized alerts to important way-points in the policy development process or when other users interact with them, issues they choose to follow, their generated content, etc. Target Outcome #2: Complete user control with baked in alert preference selection at every step of the process, from signup to each time a user logs in and navigates throughout the site, passively consuming content or actively contributing it. Target Outcome #3: Alert delivery across every platform and device commonly used to access the Internet or communicate.
Design Philosophy
Alerts are precious, individual and highly-personal forms of communication. Often, they are the crucial catalyst for action - timely reminders that custom-fit you are what get things done, and provide an indispensable reminder to users who lead busy personal and professional lives. If the alert system isn't righteous, a platform like Madison loses significant utility.
The functionality, durability and personalization of the notifications system should reflect its central importance to the rest of the features and platform. Full user control - at every step of the process - is a must. Each time a user engages with the platform, he or she should be able to choose whether, when and how they would like to be notified with a follow-up nudge. Err on the side of a missed notification versus spamming. Throughout, users are reminded that they control and decide on their own alerts - and that they will be notified of things "outside" of their own alert menu only in very infrequent, very "big deal" circumstances.
Overview
The pillars of the notifications system are answers to these three central questions:
What is the Alert About?
How is the Alert Delivered?
**When is the Alert Delivered?*
Good Notifications System Examples