Case study · 02 · The Guardian
Designing progressive notification onboarding for The Guardian app
From a one-time permission request to onboarding built on context, choice and timing
I led the UX and interaction design across the notification onboarding experience, translating the product problem into user flows, framework principles and interaction patterns. I worked closely with Product, Design and Engineering to explore the approach, prototype the experience and define how it could scale across future notification journeys.
Challenge
A one-time permission request wasn't enough
The existing app onboarding experience relied heavily on a one-time permission request. Users were asked to enable notifications without much context about the value of notifications or the types of content they could receive.
The project began as part of a broader initiative to understand how Guardian readers experienced notifications and identify opportunities to improve the overall notification journey. As the work progressed, app onboarding emerged as a key opportunity.
Research & insights
Understanding notification behaviour
To understand the wider notification experience, I supported the Lead UX Researcher with interviews with Guardian readers and app users who were familiar with The Guardian and other news platforms. We explored their notification behaviours, expectations and experiences.
The research was synthesised with the Product Manager to identify key audiences, problems and opportunities. Three themes emerged around confidence, control and relevance, pointing towards a more progressive approach to notification onboarding.
- 01
Confidence
Users lacked confidence in their decision
Many users couldn't remember whether they had enabled notifications or what they had agreed to.
- 02
Control
Users wanted more control
People wanted to choose the types of notifications they received rather than accepting a generic all-or-nothing option.
- 03
Relevance
There was an opportunity to re-engage users
Some users weren't opposed to notifications but needed clearer value and better timing before opting in.
This shifted the challenge from simply increasing opt-in rates to helping users make informed decisions at the right moment.
Reframing the problem
The problem wasn't the prompt, but when and how we asked.
Before
One-time permission request
After
Understand Choose Re-engage
The research showed that the challenge wasn't simply getting more users to enable notifications. Users needed to understand the value of notifications, feel in control of what they received and have opportunities to make that decision when it was relevant to them.
Designing the experience
Designing a more intentional notification experience
A progressive approach to notification onboarding
Rather than relying on a single permission request during app setup, we designed a progressive onboarding experience that introduced notifications at different moments and gave users more context and control.
Confidence
01Educate before permission
A pre-permission education step gave users context about the value of notifications before asking them to make a system-level decision.
Control
02Give users meaningful choice
Rather than notifications being an all-or-nothing decision, users could choose the types of updates that were relevant to them.
To make those choices meaningful, we worked with Editorial to refine the notification types. Breaking News had become a catch-all for interesting articles and recommendations, leading users to question why some stories were being labelled as breaking news.
We created clearer notification categories and a framework defining what each type was for, how often it could be sent, and what users could expect. This made notification choices more transparent and predictable.
Relevance
03Create contextual opportunities
Users who didn't opt in during onboarding weren't treated as a lost opportunity. The framework created additional moments to introduce notifications when they were relevant to what someone was reading or following.
Framework
A framework, not a one-off flow
We designed a flexible set of patterns that could extend beyond initial app onboarding and support different notification types and contexts. Working closely with the UI designer, I designed two reusable patterns for contextual prompts: an inline card with a toggle that could sit within a page, section or article, and a full-screen prompt shown at app launch with a clear opt-in or dismiss action.
I also defined the rules for when the full-screen prompt could appear, balancing the opportunity to increase opt-in with the risk of becoming intrusive. If a user dismissed or ignored a prompt, it would not be shown again, ensuring the experience respected their decision.
The framework meant the team could introduce new notification experiences using consistent patterns and principles, without repeatedly designing a new permission flow from scratch.
Impact
Improving notification opt-in
- 15% → 18.5%
- Android opt-in within 30 days (+23%)
- 17%
- iOS opt-in within 30 days of launch
- No pre-launch baseline was tracked
Prompts shown to 190k users via Android contextual prompts (20.8% of MAU) · 185k via breaking news prompts (20.2%) · 81k via sports prompts (8.9%)
The redesigned onboarding experience increased notification opt-in on both platforms, while contextual prompts created additional opportunities to engage users beyond initial app setup.
Outcome
Moving beyond the one-time prompt
The project moved notification onboarding from a one-time permission request to a progressive experience that helps readers understand the value of notifications, make informed choices, and opt in when it's relevant to them.
It also gave the team a reusable framework for future prompts and notification journeys. That paid off quickly: when I designed the opt-in experience for Live Activities, I built on the same principles of context, choice and timing instead of starting from scratch.
Reflection
Design wasn't the whole fix
Some of the biggest improvements weren't in the interface. Breaking News had become a catch-all, and no onboarding screen could fix that. Working with Editorial on what each notification type was for mattered as much as the design itself.
Respecting a “no”
I also learned how much the wording on a dismissal matters. My designs used “No thanks”, and a dismissal meant the prompt wouldn't come back. After I handed the work over, it changed to “Not now”, with plans to ask again later. I understand why, because asking again can increase opt-in. There was early feedback from some readers that repeated prompts felt annoying. If someone feels they've already said no, asking again can cost trust that's hard to win back.
Measuring beyond opt-in
iOS opt-in wasn't tracked before launch, so there's no baseline to compare the 17% against. Next time, I'd raise measurement earlier: how we'd track success on both platforms before launch, and what happens after opt-in, like how many people keep notifications on and which types they switch off.