When Notifications Become Noise
UXU Wednesday Gameboard Challenge
Quick Take
Not every ping is progress, sometimes, it’s a distraction dressed as engagement.
Users crave relevance, not reminders.
This week’s Gameboard Challenge explores how attention design shapes trust.
The Cost of Constant Pings
It starts small.
A weather app nudges you about a “possible drizzle.”
Then your fitness tracker reminds you to stand.
Next, your calendar tells you your meeting starts in 15 minutes — again.
By noon, you’ve received 22 notifications from five different apps.
We often talk about user engagement as a metric of success. But the truth? Many teams are designing for reactivity, not relevance.
When every app fights for your attention, users begin to tune out entirely. Notifications lose meaning, and brands lose trust.
The problem isn’t over-communication. It’s under-prioritization.
How to Fix It
Design for context, not cadence. Send alerts based on user state, not arbitrary timing.
Let users customize their noise. Empower them to choose when and why they’re notified.
Redefine success. Engagement should measure value added, not interruptions delivered.
In UX, silence can sometimes be the best signal.
UX Gameboard Challenge
Scenario
John just installed a new budgeting app. On his first day, he gets five notifications:
“Set your savings goal!”
“Verify your email!”
“Turn on smart alerts!”
“Update your spending categories!”
“You’ve spent $12 today!”
By the next morning, he’s turned notifications off completely.
Your Challenge
Identify 1–2 root causes of this poor UX (why did Jon disable notifications so quickly?).
Suggest one UX fix that helps maintain engagement without overwhelming the user.
Think you know the answer? Drop it in the comments for a chance to be featured in next week’s Gameboard reveal!
Quick Tip: The 3-Notification Rule
If a user can’t recall your last three notifications, they weren’t valuable enough.
Every alert should answer one question: “Would I still want this if I had 10 fewer distractions today?”
Thanks for reading, learning, and playing along each week.
We’ll see you next Wednesday.
The notifications are 1. Too agressive and 2. Too many.
Instead, send one notification: "Thank you for installing! Quickly complete your profile and preferences, and you will be set to start."
And a second one if needed: "Choose how much you will be involved in managing your finances." Which lets the user choose the notification (and other) preferences himself.
These notifications might be longer, but they will pop up only once and display essential information. Any further notifications will be approved by the user.