Pain Point 1
The number of actions/taps required to view a new message can impact how readily a user will view a new message promptly versus waiting until a more convenient time.
Overview
Project duration: 4 months (August 3 – December 12, 2017)
Problem
This project was an examination on how to improve the experience around SMS notifications in Android. Whether with Android or iOS, early iterations of the operating systems only had simple notifications for new messages. In terms of usability and experience, to view a new message required a multi-step process.
Goal
Provide an elegant solution to receive and view SMS notifications using the existing feature set of the Android OS.
Research
During our research we examined how a variety of SMS apps handled new message notifications to establish a feature baseline.
“When you receive a new text message alert, do you find it to be a quick, simple task to view the new message(s)?”
Pain Point 2
There are little to no customization options available on a per contact basis.
Proposed Solution
While not widely used at the time, the Android OS did allow for pop-up style alerts, typically used only for priority system alerts and confirmations. The idea came to us to use the inbound SMS database as the trigger point for a popup alert, while also including customization options on a per-contact basis. Upon launch of this app, one could customize the popups with colors for specific contacts for that at-a-glance recognition. The action set on the popup notifications allowed for the alert to be dismissed, or send a quick reply without having to open the entire SMS app.
Note – As the Android OS evolved, this concept eventually became a standard option for notifications both as a popup alert feature and notification shade version.
Usability Study Findings
Improved Experience
Prior to this solution, a new text message required the user to make multiple taps in order to view a new message. This had a noticeable impact on the speed in which a user opted to view a new message versus waiting for a more convenient time. Our solution allowed for an immediate viewing of a new message, as well as the abilities to customize the alert and perform an action.
Accessibility Considerations
The improved experience for the average user also had an impact on accessibility by reducing the number of steps needed to view and act on a new message.
Conclusion
While this concept eventually became a standard feature within both Android and iOS, it was a great exercise in aiding both designers and developers to think outside the box to improve the user experience within a limited, current feature set. Such solutions showed that when a feature is made more convenient for all users, the use of the app increases as users are more quickly able to act on a new message.