From Cluttered Emails to Clear Alerts
Redesigned Orcasound's notification system to prioritize clarity, speed, and user engagement, ensuring every sighting reaches users when it matters most.
My Role
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UX Researcher
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UI Design
Team
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UX Manager
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Product Manager
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UX Designer
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Content Designer
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UX Researcher
Timeline
March-June 2023
Tools
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Figma
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Figjam
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Canva
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Slack
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Google Doc
Project Overview
Background
Orcasound is an innovative platform focused on monitoring orca activity through hydrophones. Users opt for notifications to stay informed about live listening events, enabling real-time engagement with marine conservation efforts.
Challenge
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Addressing user disengagement with the current email notification channel.
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Improving the overall user experience to make the email notification channel more compelling and user-friendly.
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Analyzing the existing barriers and discovering opportunities to motivate users to engage proactively with conservation initiatives
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Users frequently dismiss or perceive email notifications as irrelevant, leading to minimal interaction.
Solution
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​Personalize email content based on user preferences and behavior.
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Use real-time data to send timely and relevant notifications aligned with user interests.
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Redesign the email interface to be user-friendly and reflect the organization's commitment to conservation.
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Make emails more visually appealing and interactive to capture user attention.
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Include clear calls to action to encourage user participation.
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Continuously improve the email system based on user feedback and performance data.
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Discovery & Research
Identifying the problem
I immersed myself in previous Persona interview notes and documents and observed that users are encountering usability challenges with the current notification system. They are frustrated about missing alerts and getting delayed notifications for live listening events about Orcas. Particularly, users who are Citizen Scientists and care deeply about marine wildlife conservation stress the importance of timely notifications to stay involved with the platform.
"Delayed notifications make it hard for me to respond quickly to Orca activities."
"I face barriers accessing notifications conveniently through my preferred communication channels."
"The lack of personalized alerts based on my interest is frustrating."
Research Objective
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Explore user preferences regarding notification channels (email, push notifications, SMS, etc.).
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Identify the specific events or updates users desire to receive notifications about (live listening events, conservation news, feature releases, etc.).
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Evaluate the effectiveness of the current email notification system by analyzing missed notification rates and gathering user feedback.
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Analyze user engagement levels with conservation call-to-actions embedded within notifications to optimize their impact on participation.
Research Methodology
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Competitive Analysis
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Survey
I decided to do the competitive analysis first because I wanted to evaluate various approaches to notification delivery among other platforms, identify successful strategies, and extract valuable insights that could guide the redesign of Orcasound's email notification channel.
Journey North
Oceanwise
Mass.Gov
Whalealert app
After personally using and observing the above website and app, I identified the major challenges. After this analysis, I also read through many Google reviews to realize that the most common problem:
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Unwanted content in the email
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Cluttered UI
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Restricted access on shared links
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Limited sharing of sightings within the community
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Hard to track and follow previous sightings
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Not clear how to unsubscribe
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Lack of personalized notifications
Survey
After conducting my initial research and competitive analysis, in collaboration with my team leader, we initiated a survey titled "Orcasound Notification Feedback Survey," which aimed to know what problems users were facing with the current notification system and what they preferred regarding notifications.
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Taking the lead in crafting the survey questions [Google form link], I ensured that the survey was designed to inquire about users' roles, duration of Orcasound usage, geographical locations, notification preferences, and satisfaction levels with the notification system. With a total of 11 questions, the survey was intended to gather valuable insights to inform the enhancement of the notification system.
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We sent the survey to users who had chosen to be part of the Orcasound research mailing list. From this group, we received 31 responses.
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Survey Results
89%
Willing to receive real-time notification over daily or weekly summaries
19%
Not receive any notification,indicating potential issues with the delivery system or user settings.
85%
Prioritize whale event notifications but show less interest in other marine events
61%
Desire for email notifications to be consistently delivered and relevant to their interests.
41%
Like to personalize their notifications and clear call- to- action for conservation participation
Who are our respondents
Canada 14.8%
USA 85.2%
More than a year listeners
New listeners
Between 3 month to a year listeners
Professional Scientist
Infrequent users
Citizen Scientist
Research findings
This Initial research helped me gain a clear understanding of users and their frustrations and goals. I was able to derive the percentage of users who would be interested in notifications and their expectations. Users show a consistent commitment to Orcasound and indicate a strong interest in marine conservation efforts.
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Efficiency in Communication
Direct communication via SMS is favored, while email remains a preferred mode of communication for many users.
Real-Time Notification
Users prioritize immediate notifications, especially for live events, highlighting the significance of prompt and timely notifications.
Preferred Event and Location
Users value specific events and hydrophone locations, requiring customized notifications for a personalized experience.
Insights from Stakeholder and Developer
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Stakeholders and developers were interested in addressing user needs for real-time engagement and personalization in notifications.​
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Stakeholders recognized the importance of improving user experience to boost engagement and retention.
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Our developer emphasized the importance of email content and prioritized a visual redesign of the email template to improve the user experience.​​​
Define
POV & How Might We....
Our project has reached an important point after analyzing stakeholder feedback and research findings. We need to decide on our primary focus. To give users preference for direct communication via email and their desire for immediate and relevant notifications, our UX manager proposes redesigning the Orcasound email notification system.
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This redesign aims to enhance the overall user experience of email notifications, ensuring that users receive relevant, timely, and engaging content tailored to their preferences and interests.
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Meet Sue Miller and James
Based on research and feedback, I created a persona to help guide the design process.
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Shaping Solutions with User Insights
To organize our design goals effectively, I hosted a brainstorming session using FigJam. During the session, we gathered ideas and features to improve the user experience, with a focus on clarity, engagement, and ease of understanding for recipients of Orcasound Hydrophone live listening event notifications. Subsequently, we reviewed the feedback and comments, organizing them to prioritize enhancements for our notification system.
Following this, I explored the concerned citizen scientist persona and thoroughly reviewed the user story assigned by the UX manager. These insights guided me in formulating design recommendations that meet both persona needs and project objectives.
Key Design Consideration
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Hydrophone Identification
Indicate the hydrophone location where the event is occurring to provide context to users.
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Share Functionality
Enable users to easily share the notification with friends or colleagues, promoting community engagement and involvement in Orcasound events.
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Direct Access Link
Include a direct link or button that leads users to detailed information about the specific hydrophone associated with the event.
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Conservative Call to Action Link
Integrate a conservative call-to-action link providing users with various engagement options.
Testing
Why Preference Testing?
To refine the email notification design, I needed to understand user preferences regarding visual clarity, content hierarchy, and actionability. A/B testing wasn’t feasible as I lacked access to performance metrics, so I opted for preference testing to gather qualitative insights on user perceptions and engagement. This method allowed me to validate design decisions before implementation.
How I Conducted the Test
1. Testing Platform: Usability Hub (for structured testing) & Slack discussions (for qualitative insights).
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2. Participants: 30 individuals with varying backgrounds, ensuring diverse feedback.
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3. Test Setup:
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Two high-fidelity design variations were presented.
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Participants were asked: "Which email design best meets your needs in terms of visual appeal, content clarity (including a balanced mix of images and text), a compelling call to action, and clear presentation of location details?"​​​
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4. Data Collection:
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Quantitative feedback was gathered via Usability Hub, measuring preferences in percentage form.
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Qualitative insights were collected through Slack discussions, focusing on text readability, navigation ease, and visual impact.
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Design 1
Design 2
Outcome and Key Findings
The results provided actionable insights that helped me to refine the final design:
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Design Element | User Preference (%) | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|
Minimal navigation | 80% (20/30)
| Users prefer easy access to key content |
Voice link details | 92% (26/30)
| Users want more information
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Call to Action ("Save our Wild Salmon")
| 69% (15/30)
| More compelling than "Make an Impact"
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Geo pushpin | 77% (19/30)
| Location details must be clear |
Use of images
| 85% (23/30)
| Visuals enhance engagement |
Additionally, Slack discussions revealed:​
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Users valued contrast and concise content (Design 1 performed better).
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Text hierarchy needed improvement for better readability.
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Single image blocks were suggested for better email formatting.
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Key Findings
Based on these findings, I refined the email design by:
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​Optimizing text hierarchy for better readability.
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Enhancing visual hierarchy to balance images and content.
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Improving the CTA by keeping it bold, action-oriented, and specific.
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Reducing unnecessary navigation for a more streamlined experience.
Design Exploration
Key iterations
Design Iteration #1: New Minimalist Design
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Focused on structuring content with a simple layout.
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Designed a prominent Listen Now button to encourage engagement.
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Added hydrophone location information to give users better context.
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Integrated a share button, making it easy for users to spread awareness.​
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Before
After
Design Iteration #2: Optimized for Accessibility & Engagement
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Conservative Call-to-Action (CTA) – Rather than a single, fixed action, provide users with a variety of engagement options. This approach allows them to explore content, take different actions, and engage in a way that feels more personalized and aligns with their own preferences and pace.​
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Before
After
Design Iteration #3: Footer Updates for Compliance
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Included Unsubscribe & Preferences links to allow users to manage notifications.
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Introduced an SMS sign-up option so users can choose to receive notifications via text, expanding the communication channels.
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Added a Mailing Address to meet email regulations (e.g., CAN-SPAM, GDPR).
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Before
After
Final Design
Project Takeaways
Final Refelctions
This project was a valuable exploration of how UX design can transform user engagement through thoughtful iteration and collaboration. By refining email notifications, we shifted from a static communication model to a more personalized, action-driven experience that encourages user participation.
Collaboration & Development
Although the design is still under iteration, we’ve worked closely with the development team to ensure the designs are clear and easy to implement when finalized. This collaboration focuses on:
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Sharing UI specifications ensures the designs are clear and easy to build.
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Ensuring the design will work well on different devices and is accessible to all users.
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Gathering feedback from developers to make sure the designs are practical and work in the real world.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps
This project reinforced that great UX is a continuous process—it doesn’t end when a design is finished. Instead, it requires constant testing, feedback, and updates. Moving forward, we plan to:
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Monitor the performance of the email notifications once launched, gathering user feedback to improve them further.
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Expand communication channels, such as adding SMS and push notifications, to reach more users.
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Improve accessibility and personalization to make sure all users feel included and receive relevant information.
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