Transcript
[ Music ]
[ Applause ]
>> Good morning.
Good morning, everyone.
How's it going.
It's nice to see everyone today.
Hopefully you've enjoyed the
conference this week.
We're really happy to be here to
start off the last day.
So, my name is Jon Dascola, and
later I'll be joined by my
colleague Heena Ko.
We're both designers on the
human interface team here at
Apple.
And we're going to talk about
designing great notifications.
So, this year in iOS 12, we
introduced a lot of great
feature to really enhance the
notification experience, both
for you and everyone that uses
your apps.
And we think these features are
really powerful, and could
create a meaningful, but also
mindful experience for everyone.
But, before we get into what's
new, I think it would be helpful
to take a trip down memory lane
and see how the notification
experience has evolved over the
years, because knowing how we
got here will help us make a
better future.
So, when iPhone launched, every
alert was a blue box, model
alert.
Do you guys remember this?
Every notification, every
message, every invitation, it
was an interruption that needed
to be dealt with immediately.
Nothing would be on the lock
screen, so at times, it was
pretty cumbersome when you'd
unlock the phone, right?
Whatever missed messages you
received were backed up and
would appear a single box at a
time.
So, you could either ignore
them, one at a time, or if you
wanted to reply, you launched
into the app to take action.
Then, in iOS 4, as more apps
were sending push notifications,
we started to queue them up on
your lock screen.
So, now people could see all of
their missed notifications at a
glance and choose the specific
one they wanted to interact
with.
A swipe on that row would launch
into the app but all the other
ones would be dismissed from the
lock screen.
And they all went up to
notification center.
And that was a way to access all
the other things you had missed.
So, because so many
notifications were being
accumulated, this became a
really useful place to go and to
see all the other activity on
your phone.
Next, we introduced rich
notifications.
As the quantity of notifications
was increasing, we wanted to
increase their quality.
Rich notifications are a great
way to provide more context and
information around each
notification.
That way you can see one,
understand what it's for and get
the extra information that you
need to take action.
And it all happens right in
line.
You don't need to launch into
the app and lose the context of
what you're doing.
And that leads us to where we
are today and all the work that
we've done to enhance the
notification experience in iOS
12.
So, we're going to talk about
some features that make the
world better for you, as app
developers.
Ways to make your notifications
more valuable, useful, and
organized.
And then, we'll talk about how
those features can create a
better experience for everyone.
But before we get going, can we
take a moment and be candid?
Can we talk about the current
state of notifications?
Maybe not always the greatest.
You know, people are getting a
lot of interruptions.
And they're not always for the
right reasons, right.
And we have way more apps than
ever before.
And they're sending more
notifications than ever.
And because people are seeing so
many notifications, it's so
important to make sure that
we're creating a really great
experience for everybody that
uses your app.
Because the best notifications,
they're for connecting and
communicating with people.
I mean, that's what makes iPhone
great, that real human
connection.
And then, you know, we have
social notifications.
I totally understand how these
are important, right?
People want to stay on top of
their digital lives.
Everyone likes their likes.
And then there's even the
occasional notification about
new sneakers or something, that
could be super fun and really
useful.
But not all of these things all
of the time.
Again, all things in moderation.
So, as more apps are continuing
to send more notifications and
taking more of our attention, we
really have to make sure we're
doing the right thing.
We need to remember that the
best notifications are for
connecting people and delivering
meaningful information.
Now, I know none of you here
would ever do any of this, but
there are some app developers
that maybe go a little bit
overboard.
And this year, we've created a
UI that makes it easier for
people to control how their
notifications are delivered.
And there's even an option to
turn off all the notifications
from an unhelpful app.
So, in iOS 12, when you receive
a notification on the lock
screen, you could swipe left and
access some actions, and you'll
notice this year, we've added a
manage button.
Tapping that brings in our newly
designed quick tuning UI, which
allows you to configure how the
notifications from that app are
being delivered.
So, at the top, the first option
is to deliver quietly.
And these quiet notifications
will be send directly into your
notification center without
interruption.
It did not appear on the lock
screen.
It did not play a sound or
haptic, or present as banners.
And I think this is a really
great option for an app that's
sending you notifications that
you want.
Content that you're interested
in, but you don't necessarily
need to be interrupted by for
every new post, right?
So, you can access these
notifications now on your own
terms.
But also, right here in the card
is a button to turn off all
notifications from that
particular app.
And we think having that
shortcut is really handy.
But having to use it, it's not a
great experience for anyone.
We don't want people to have to
turn off notifications because
they're annoyed or frustrated.
And as developers you don't want
to lose the privilege to reach
out to those individuals, right?
So, by the time we're done here,
we want to make sure that you
have all the tools and
information you need to make
sure you're sending only the
most meaningful notifications
that you can.
Because if you send great
notifications, you'll be, making
everyone who uses your app
happy.
And if you've got happy people
using your app, that's going to
make you happy.
And if you guys are all happy
and they're happy, that's going
to make Heena and I real happy
today.
And being happy is good, right?
So, let's get into it and talk
through the notification journey
and how to create the best
notification experience.
We're going to start with the
first run prompt, in that
initial agreement and talk about
all the best ways for you to
make sure your notifications are
allowed and delivered.
Then we'll talk about the best
ways to provide value with all
the notifications that you're
sending.
Better ways to organize your
content with notification
grouping.
And finally, how to make the
most of rich notifications to
create a really useful and
holistic notification
experience.
So, let's get started and talk
about that first prompt in
asking for permission to send
notifications.
This is a familiar screen,
right?
It's your one and only
opportunity to receive
permission to send
notifications.
And it's an important moment.
And you should remember that
you're asking someone to make
the difficult decision here.
I mean put yourself in their
shoes right.
They just downloaded your app.
They're excited to give it a run
for the first time.
And then all of the sudden,
they're interrupted.
And then they're asked make this
decision about receiving
notifications.
How are they supposed to know,
right?
Especially if it's presented
without any context and you're
not letting them know why
notifications are valuable, and
if they've really had any time
to experience your app.
I mean why should they tap
allow?
So, this happens, right?
They don't.
And that was it.
You had one shot, one
opportunity to send
notifications.
And that was your only way to
ask for permission.
Well, in iOS 12, that's no
longer the case.
We've created a new feature that
allows you to send notifications
directly and only into
notification center, without
running that initial prompt.
It's your choice.
You can continue to show the
prompt and ask for the privilege
to send notifications to the
lock screen with the risk of
being denied.
Or, you can choose to deliver
your notifications quietly and
directly in the notification
center.
So, they'll appear like this in
your notification center list.
And if we look a little more
closely, you'll see the content
within the notification platter
is presented as it always is.
Your information comes through
as a normal notification.
But at the bottom, we extend
down the platter and we add some
buttons.
Now the prompt is integrated
within a notification.
It's less disruptive.
It's a non-model experience.
So, you won't be stopped when
you're in the middle of using
that app and being asked about
notifications.
You see the prompt right when
you're looking at your
notifications center.
And the prompt now provides more
information.
It's presented with in an actual
notification.
So, I can see what sort of
content the app will provide.
And now, I'll have a better
understanding of their purpose
so I can better judge their
quality, and be better informed
to make that decision.
So, let's look at some different
categories of apps and talk
about how they might go about
requesting permission.
So, we have social apps, news
apps, games.
And let's focus on a news app
for a moment.
Let's imagine we're creating a
new news service from scratch
and we're working out our
notifications.
Well, should we go to the
directed notification center
route?
I mean that seems like a good
idea, right?
I mean there's a group of people
out there that are interested in
news.
Maybe they're curious about
what's going on in the world.
But they don't feel the need to
be interrupted for every single
article that's posted.
You know, especially if they've
just downloaded the app and
they're unsure of the content
they might receive.
I think the directed history
route makes a lot of sense.
But, you know I also see a very
clear use case to ask for lock
screen access too, right?
People love breaking news.
They want to be on top of what's
going on in the world, as soon
as it happens, right?
I get it. So, what do we do?
Well, if we start with the new
world and talk about the cases
that could be sent directly to
notification center.
So, if your app is sending
content that can be consumed
passively, and doesn't require
critical or timely responses,
then I think the directed
notification center route is
your best approach.
It ensures that your content is
delivered.
It won't interrupt people.
And most importantly, it gives
them an opportunity to see your
content and try your
notifications before they have
to commit to it.
So, if our news app is sending
longform articles, I think that
makes sense, right?
Or, social apps.
I think they can deliver their
likes and comments quietly.
Games that are sending out
promotional notification.
Examples like that, I think they
make sense to go direct to
notification center.
Now let's take a moment and talk
about the traditional route.
What sort of use cases make
sense here?
Well, if your apps need to
deliver notification content
immediately, if people need to
see your notifications the
moment that they're posted.
Or your app requires an urgent
response to notifications, ask
for permission.
You know, maybe that news app is
breaking news.
Or your social app has a big
messaging component, or games
where you need to see your
friends online.
If you've got an app like that,
then go for it.
I think that makes a ton of
sense to ask for lock screen
access.
But if you do, there's a few
things to keep in mind while
you're designing that
experience.
Because if you do create a great
experience here, I think it will
greatly increase the probability
that your notifications are
going to be allowed.
So, don't prompt or send this
alert as soon as people launch
your app for the first time.
You know, give them a moment to
experience your app, what you've
built and what you have to
offer.
And find a place within your app
to explain why your
notifications are going to be
valuable.
Let them know why you're sending
notifications.
And more importantly, why they
need to appear on the lock
screen.
And finally, that prompt, well
post it at the right time.
Present it when someone
understands the reason why
they'll be receiving
notifications from your app.
Like if you're a delivery
service, wait for someone to
complete their order and explain
the notifications will update
them on its progress.
Or if you're a travel app,
notifications will be for flight
delays and gate changes, right.
Because in either scenario, with
the direct to notification
center route or this one we want
you to have the best opportunity
to deliver your notifications.
So, that's what's new when
asking for permission to send
out notifications.
Remember, it's up to you.
Both approaches are valuable and
both should be considered.
It's a decision that you're
going to need based on your app
and your app's particular
content.
So, now that you've taken all
the right steps to make sure
people will be receiving your
notifications.
Let's talk about how to make
sure you're setting the best
content in making notifications
like extremely valuable for
everyone.
And why is it so important that
we're sending out great
notifications?
It's because our attention is
valuable.
Our attention is precious.
Right? Interrupting people, it's
a real privilege.
And we need to respect that.
I mean you've all felt this
right?
You're trying to focus on
something, you're in the zone.
I mean maybe it's happened this
week, you're updating all your
apps to adopt these great new
APIs and then all the sudden
[ding].
You're interrupted.
And you stop.
And you lose focus.
And when the wrong thing comes
at the wrong time it's
frustrating.
So, you've got to be extra
considerate when we're sending
notifications.
First off, we need to make sure
we're sending great content and
providing the highest quality of
information.
Everything you said in a
notification has got to be
meaningful.
Every notification should
provide a specific purpose.
Each notification should have a
specific message to communicate
or a task to complete.
Notifications are not just a
reason to get people to launch
into your app.
So, Dark Sky, it's a really
lovely weather app that sends
particularly meaningful
notifications.
See, I think the interesting
thing about the weather is you
really need to know about the
weather once it's different.
You know, if there's a change in
conditions.
And that's when Dark Sky sends
these notifications, right?
Rain is starting soon.
That's what I need to know.
Just really smart.
Door Dash is another great
example.
You get your notification when
your food arrives.
I mean everybody gets excited
when their dinner is here, like
what more do you need to know?
It's perfect.
And HQ does the right thing with
their notifications.
For a live game that requires
you to be online at a specific
time, a notification like this,
it makes a ton of sense.
So, what do they all have in
common?
Well, all those notifications,
they served a clear purpose.
They were presented for a
specific reason with real
information.
They weren't just empty
invitations to launch into your
app.
So, now that you're sending out
really great content.
It's important to consider when
you're sending that content.
So, be considerate when you
deliver notifications.
And reminders is great.
You can choose whether you want
your notification to be
delivered by time, or by
location.
So, you get the appropriate
content whenever you need it.
And Headspace is great, they're
one of my favorite apps.
It's a meditation app that
really helps with focus and
clarity.
So, I think it's appropriate
that they let me choose when a
reminder comes through.
Because it would be terribly
ironic if they were the ones
sending me frustrating
notifications at inopportune
times throughout the day.
Headspace is really great.
And here, I love this screen
with CNN, right.
After you allow alerts, they ask
you to choose the alert
frequency.
So, it's up to me to decide how
often I would like to receive
their content.
It's such as smart way to manage
and configure your notifications
you know.
Because as a user, now I have
some expectations around what
that notification experience
will be.
And here's a notifications from
Duolingo.
So, I was trying to learn a new
language.
I got a bit distracted here
working on this presentation, so
I missed a few sessions.
And rather than continuing to
send me notifications that I'm
not interacting with, they
decided to pause them.
And I just think that's really
considerate.
Because I could totally
understand the argument right,
why they might want to send me
more notifications at a time
like this and really encourage
me to get back and re-engage
with the app.
But with the new tuning features
we announced, if I get annoyed
by those notifications, I can
easily turn them all off.
So, for them, doing the right
thing in the short term, while
it might seem like the harder
decision to make, I think it's
going to pay off in the long
run.
So, in all cases, it's really
important to consider how and
when you're delivering
notifications.
And finally, we want to make
sure your people are in control
of the content that they're
receiving.
I mean there's a real trust
relationship that's created when
someone allows notifications
from your app.
They're making space for you to
interrupt them with your
content, right?
And as we've discussed, it
should be really valuable.
But not all things have that
same level of value or
importance to all people.
So, let's talk about giving
everyone control on how their
content is delivered, right?
So, we've redesigned settings
this year to more clearly
visualize the different delivery
methods of notifications.
We hope that with more clear and
graphic UI, it will make it
easier for people to adjust how
they're receiving your different
notifications.
And if you notice at the bottom
here, we've also added a link to
your third-party custom
notification settings.
And providing that link is even
more important now because of
our new tuning UI.
Because if someone decides to
tap turn off, we don't just
immediately stop all the
notifications from that app, but
we present a confirmation step.
So, in this action sheet, you
could choose to turn off all
notifications from the
particular app, or tap a button,
to go into that app's particular
custom notification settings.
And again, we want people to be
in control of the types of
content that they receive.
So, while we hope that turn off
everything button is a last
resort, we want to encourage
people to get into your app
settings and customize the
notification categories you have
in a more granular way.
So, with this extra visibility
you know it's really important
to make sure these settings
pages are well-designed.
So, let's look at a few
examples.
ESPN is an app with really
detailed settings.
And they've done a great job
with their design.
There's like a great sense of
hierarchy and all of their
content is tailored to my
interests.
And when I drill down and see
the screen, they have specific
details for each type of
notification that you can
receive.
You know, basketball is
different than baseball.
Right. I have all the controls
that I need to receive exactly
the right notifications from
ESPN.
And "The New York Times" app is
great.
I have the options to configure
the different categories or
different sections that are
alerting me.
You know I might not find sports
or politics helpful, but I can
still receive breaking news and
top stories.
And I think this is really smart
for "The New York Times" to have
implemented.
Because not everyone may
appreciate interruptions every
single category that they offer.
So, for allowing this topic
level control, it assures people
to configure the experience to
their liking without resorting
to turning off all notifications
from that app.
So, it's really important, this
set of control is supported in
your app in a well-designed way.
All right.
So, those are the important
things to remember when creating
notifications.
Now, you're going to be sending
out some really valuable
information.
The next thing is to talk about
notification grouping.
And this is a new feature in iOS
12 to help everyone keep their
notifications, you know all
those great, and valuable
content you'll be receiving,
more organized.
So, in iOS, we've always
appreciated the convenience of
seeing notifications on the lock
screen.
The chronological list is really
helpful to organize.
And it's great to see the
content of notifications without
having to interact with the
device.
You just pick up the phone and
everything is there, it's all
visible.
But you know, there gets to be a
point where that long
chronological list starts to
break down.
Whenever there's a lot of
different content coming on the
screen, right?
Especially multiple messages, or
if you have group chats
happening all at the same time,
it's really difficult to follow.
So, that's when we decided to
start grouping notifications.
Now, all your related content is
organized together.
A simple tap on each group
expands it open and you can
interact with each notification
individually.
And by default, notifications
will group together by app.
And for most cases, that make
sense.
But you know there's some
circumstances when sorting them
out in a more detailed way can
be helpful.
And messages is a perfect
example.
I don't think it would be the
most useful thing to see every
missed message from every
conversation thread and group
chat you're having all lumped
together into a single group.
So, to more clearly organize
everything we create a new group
for each conversation.
And we call each individual
group a thread.
So, let's take a moment and talk
about notification threads and
what the best ways may be to
organize your content.
So, notification grouping uses
the existing thread identifier
API.
This API was introduced as part
of the notification content
extensions.
We expanded its use to create
notification groups.
The thread identifier can be any
string that you want and the
notifications with the same
thread identifier are all
grouped together.
That's it.
Super simple.
So, threads make a lot of sense
and you have separate
conversations to group together.
But what about other types of
content?
How should we handle grouping in
those cases?
Well, let's look at news.
Each source is broken out into a
separate thread.
You can see there's a group from
"The New York Times."
A group for Quartz, and a group
from "The Washington Post."
And it's a really helpful way to
find and organize content
delivered from the news app.
And let's look at another
example.
Podcasts. They really do the
smart thing with their
notifications.
They create a special thread
that groups together all of your
new episodes.
And what they do is they
resisted the temptation to
declare each individual Podcast
a separate thread.
Because remember, threading is
about consolidating and
organizing your content.
So, when scrolling through your
notification history, I think
it's a much better experience to
see all new Podcast episodes in
a single group, rather than a
bunch of discrete groups
separated out and mixed together
amongst all of your other missed
notifications.
Because, if there's a single
group, a tap will expand it open
and reveal all of the related
content.
Everything is together.
Everything is organized.
And everything is easy to find.
So, while threads can be
incredibly valuable, it's really
important to not create too
many.
They should be used to highlight
and distinguish meaningfully
different types of content.
So, remember it's okay to leave
the default behavior of grouping
all of your apps notifications
together.
Often that's going to be the
best experience for people to
find and interact with your
content.
All right, so that's
notification grouping, and I
think we're doing pretty good so
far.
You know, people have agreed to
receive your notifications now.
You're respecting their
attention.
You're sending good content at
relevant times.
If it makes sense for your app,
you're grouping your content
together by a few relevant
threads.
We're moving.
Now, we need to make sure the
rich notifications are rounding
out the experience.
And it's just so important, it's
really important to create
useful rich notifications.
Because as I mentioned earlier,
rich notifications are a way to
provide more context and
information to each
notification.
Now, we want people to take
action on them, without losing
the context of what they're
doing.
I say, like every notification
should be like a little
self-contained package of
information to allow me to
complete a specific task.
I shouldn't have to launch into
the app to find value in a
notification.
And photos is a great example.
I can see that my friend added a
new image to a shared photo
stream.
And with 3D touch, when I touch
on it, I can see the big,
full-sized version of the image
that was added.
And below there's a description.
And with the quick action
buttons, I can either like it,
or leave a comment right in
line.
I don't need to leave the
context of what I'm currently
doing to take action on the
notification.
I tap like.
I swipe it away and I'm back to
the lock screen.
Calendar is another great
example.
I see I have an invitation to an
event on my lock screen.
And I use 3D touch and press on
it, I see my availability right
in the notification.
Again, I don't need to launch
into Calendar to see my day.
And then there's some great
quick options below.
I can accept the invitation
right in line.
So, if we look at messages, with
our new notification grouping
UI, my conversation with Heena
is all grouped together.
Now, when I press on the
notification group, I'm seeing
all of that group's content
together.
All of the individual platters
that were stacked in the group
are consolidated together in
this view.
I can read the entire thread
right here.
And now, in iOS 12, we've added
interactivity to the rich
notification views.
So, you can double tap on a
specific messages bubble and
access our tap back UI.
So, I tap like, and I can send
that acknowledgment right back
to Heena.
So, as we mentioned, if you've
created individual threads for
your content, you can also have
a threaded or consolidated rich
notification.
So, if we look at Podcasts.
All of their new episodes are
grouped together here on the
lock screen.
When I press on that stack, I
get a single rich notification
that summarizes each of the new
Podcast episodes that have been
released.
There's a custom design with
each show's artwork.
The episode title and a short
description.
And because we can have discrete
tap regions, there are separate
play buttons for each episode.
I mean, I just think this
example is great.
It checks all the boxes for
making a great rich
notification.
There's detailed content, nice
images, custom controls, and
rich interactions.
It's a great way to finish the
notification experience.
So, to summarize, when it comes
to that first run experience,
you have the question, did you
ask for lock screen access, or
deliver quietly in the
notification center.
Well, I think it depends on your
content.
Is it timely?
Does it require an urgent
response?
Then go on, ask for permission
to send notifications to the
lock screen.
If you're sending passive
content that doesn't require an
immediate response, then
delivering directly to
notification center could be the
right approach.
But either way it's your
decision to make.
This should be based on the
needs of your app.
Next, we need to make sure we're
really providing value with our
notification content and sending
just like the highest quality
notifications.
So, they need to be meaningful
content.
We should be sending specific
information.
Notifications are not just a
reason to launch into the app.
And we've got to have a
well-designed settings and
configuration UI so people can
easily tailor their notification
experience from within your app.
Notification grouping it's a
great way to organize your
content.
So, by default, all notification
from your app will group
together.
And you can use the threat
identifier to create threads, if
you need more nuanced grouping.
But remember, only create
threads when necessary.
Don't overdo it.
And finally, rich notifications
should be created to provide
that extra bit of content around
the notification.
Each notification should be a
specific task to complete.
You can add images, video,
audio, and custom content.
And now, interactivity to create
a holistic notification
experience.
So, I mean that was a lot,
right?
That was a lot to take in, a lot
to do, a lot to consider.
But, it's not everything.
There's still something else to
consider.
And for a lot of people it's the
most important.
And it's definitely the most
personal part of the
notification experience.
The Apple Watch.
So, I'd like to invite my fellow
designer, Heena Ko here, to talk
about making great notifications
on the Apple Watch.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> Thanks, Jon.
Okay. So, we just heard about
the importance of notifications
on the phone.
So, why think about
notifications on Apple Watch?
Well, we consider Apple Watch to
be our most personal device.
It states unlocked on your
wrist, so you stay connected.
But because it's so lightweight,
you can stay focused on what
you're doing.
And particularly for Apple
Watch, notifications are really
great and incredibly effective.
They're glanceable and the
interactions are lightweight.
And great notifications, they
send you valuable and timely
information.
Or, they can encourage you to
reach your health goals.
And in some cases, they tell you
critical information, like if
you've had an elevated heart
rate.
Notifications are an essential
part of the Apple Watch
experience.
In fact, we'd go as far as
saying that notifications are
the primary way people interact
with apps on Apple Watch.
There's another important reason
why you may want to think about
notifications on Apple Watch,
and that's because they can be
pushed to either device.
You see, we coordinate alerts.
So, we send them to the device
that's most accessible to you.
So, if your phone is locked,
it's in your bag, in your
pocket, which is a lot of the
time, then that notification
gets sent to the watch.
So, you want to make sure that
that notification looks great in
both places.
Okay, so here's a picture I took
on a hike on Mount Tam the other
week.
It's really beautiful up there.
While I was going on a hike
without my phone, I was able to
get this notification from Dark
Sky about an upcoming
thunderstorm.
So, now, with Apple Watch Series
3 with cellular, notifications
on the watch are more important
than ever.
I can go hours without my phone.
And still receive notifications
and stay connected.
Okay, so you may ask, how do I
make them look great on both
devices?
Well, we try to make it as easy
as possible for you by giving
you some stuff for free.
So, let's take a look.
Take this notification from one
of my favorite Podcast Apps
Castro.
When that phone notification is
pushed to the watch, some
elements come with it with
minimal work.
Like, the image attachments, as
well as the title, the body, and
any relevant quick actions.
So, here I'm able to add this
Podcast app to my queue from my
watch, so it's right in my phone
when I want to listen to it.
By simply adding a few
additional elements, the watch's
notification experience is so
much better.
Okay, so there are additional
ways you can customize your
watch notifications.
You can add a sash color.
You can add a background color.
You can add images, icons and
even inline video to make your
notifications more visually
rich.
Okay, and now if you have a
WatchKit app you can create
interactive notifications.
Interactive notifications are a
new feature in WatchOS 5.
They allow for more
interactivity right in the
notification, so you don't even
have to launch the app.
We're really excited about this
one.
Okay, so here's a notification
from a fictitious ride sharing
app.
You guys know this.
We all get these after every
single ride.
And occasionally I'll open the
app and rate the ride right
after the ride is over.
But sometimes, actually a lot of
times, I forget to do it.
So, now in WatchOS 5 apps can
create interactive
notifications.
Here's one from DiDi, I ride
sharing app.
So, they've included the ability
to rate and pay right in the
notification.
I just have to rotate the
digital crown, tap the stars,
hit pay, and I'm done.
So, this is a great example of
an interface that clearly
communicates the purpose of that
notification, which is to
encourage me to submit a rating
after my ride.
Pay By Phone is an app that
allows you to pay for your
parking spot remotely.
It's really convenient when I'm
still really far from my car and
I need to extend my time.
Here's a notification from them,
letting me know that I only have
10 minutes left on my parking
spot.
It allows me to extend my time
right in the long look.
I just have to rotate the
digital crown, and I tap
steppers, and that's all I have
to do to extend my time.
So, this is a great example of a
quick interaction.
I was able to extend my parking
time with just a couple of taps.
So, amongst my friends, I'm
oftentimes the person that
chooses the restaurant and makes
dinner reservations.
And because of traffic and
weather, you name it, people are
always running late.
So, here's an interactive
notification from Yelp, letting
me know that my table is ready.
And these new notifications,
they allow me to extend my
checking time and in this one,
for up to 45 minutes right in
the notification.
So, we don't need to give up our
table if people are running
late.
Okay, so rich notifications are
particularly good for moments of
quick data input.
Here's a notification from a
fictitious medication reminder
app.
It's reminding me to take my
medication before the end of the
day.
So, it not only reminds me to
take my medication at the right
time, but it also provides a
range of ways to respond.
I can say I took a single
medication, or I can tap the
take all button to say that I've
taken both.
So, this is really great,
because this is something that I
had to do every single day.
Okay, so what do these
notifications have in common?
Well, they were informative.
At the same time, they're
succinct.
They were visually rich.
These used images, videos, and
icons to make the notifications
much visually richer.
They're actionable.
I was able to accomplish a tone
of things without even having to
open the app.
And lastly, interactions on the
watch are best when they're
quick.
We're going to make
notifications richer, but we
don't want to recreate the app
experience.
Okay, something you can do to
make notifications even more
effective is to get to know your
audience.
And tailor notifications to
individuals.
It can make a huge difference in
how they experience your app.
My Weather is an adorable app
that sends me forecast
notifications every morning and
it's customized to my location.
I really love receiving
notifications from Wallet on my
watch.
It's especially great, when
you're at the airport, and
you're dealing with lots of
luggage.
Or you're at the store dealing
with lots of groceries, they're
also really handy when going to
concerts.
So, here's a concert ticket I
got from Wallet.
It arrived right when I got to
the venue.
It also contained a full-screen
QR code that allowed me to enter
the venue and I didn't even have
to pull my phone out.
This is a great example of
customizing the timing of when I
received a notification.
It arrived right when I needed
it and provided me with
everything I needed for the
event.
Okay, so Qantas Airlines has
really great interactive
notifications, and they allow
you to share your flight time
with that clutch friend that's
going to pick you up from the
airport.
Here, my friend Gabriel has just
sent me his trip information
through the Qantas app.
It includes his ETA, as well as
the option to set up a pickup
reminder, which I'm totally
going to use.
Later in the evening, I'll
receive the pickup reminder,
along with a suggested time to
leave.
And it shows me exactly where I
can pick him up, as well as the
options for directions and it
includes the option to send him
a message letting him know that
I'm going to be late.
So, must know that I'm in LA.
This is an excellent example of
customizing notifications along
an entire journey.
They utilize time and location
as well as just simply providing
helpful tools to make sure
people have a great experience
from start to finish.
Okay, so, at this point,
everyone here should be a
notification expert.
But we covered a lot.
So, let's do a quick recap.
Okay the first run prompt.
Notifications are oftentimes
sensitive.
But if they're not considering
sending notifications directly
to notification center.
You won't be interrupting people
and folks can read them on their
own time.
Providing value and sending
great content.
Remember notifications are about
making human connections and
conversation.
They're also about delivering
valuable information.
Consider delivery.
Consider providing ways for
people to customizing
notifications and incorporate
things like time and location
when sending them.
Okay, notification grouping.
So, iOS and WatchOS will group
notifications by app by default.
And most of the time, that
should be totally okay.
But consider threading related
content to have discrete
meaningful groupings.
People are really excited about
this one.
Okay, rich notifications.
Consider creating rich education
so people can accomplish more
right in the moment.
And last, but not least,
consider notifications on both
devices.
You'll be providing a great
experience in any circumstance.
So, the next time people hear
this sound [ding], people will
be delighted because you value
their attention, and sent them
something really great.
Thank you guys.
[ Applause ]
So, for more information about
notifications, check out these
related talks.
[ Applause ]