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Texts inside should be concise concrete, using active verbs and simple language whenever possible. They should avoid complicated or foreign words and abbreviation. Inline and Global Notifications should never have a message with multiple rows and Toast Notifications should avoid messages longer than three rows.

Notification Text

Notifications in Inspire Design should be easy to scan and actionable.
Users should understand what happened, why it matters, and what to do next in a few seconds.

General rules

• Use sentence case for notification titles and descriptions.
• Be brief. Keep the content to 1–2 short sentences where possible.
• Don’t repeat yourself. The description should add meaning, not paraphrase the title.
• Avoid technical language (error codes, stack traces) in the message text. If technical detail is needed, move it to details/help or provide a link.
• Add a period only for complete sentences; omit it for short, implicit messages.

Titles

The title is the “headline” of the notification.
It should communicate the main outcome in a few words. Keep titles short and descriptive and use simple language whenever possible. Do not place periods at the end of the titles.

Descriptions

Descriptions add context and next steps.
Keep them short enough that users can skim them. Include only what users need: reason + next step (and consequence only if it changes what they should do). Prefer one sentence for toast notifications. Use plain language and focus on what users can observe or do.

Actions

Actions should help users resolve the situation immediately.
If there’s no meaningful follow-up, don’t add an action. Use imperative verbs and avoid vague labels like “OK”. Keep action labels short with 1–2 words. Action text should be a direct response to the title:

• Title: “An app was shared with you” → Action: “Open app”
• Title: “Couldn’t save changes” → Action: “Try again” / “Review fields”

System Notification

System notifications provide information that users should know, without alarming them.
Get to the point and explain why it matters.

Do

• “Scheduled maintenance tonight”
  “Some features may be unavailable from 22:00–23:00.”

Don’t

• “Important system message” (too vague)

Success Notification

Success notifications confirm outcomes and then get out of the way.

Do

• Use outcome phrasing: “Sales order created”
• Keep it short for repeated actions: “Order deleted”
• Only include names/IDs if users truly need them.

Don’t

• Use filler words like “successfully” (“Saved successfully”) — success is implied.

Warning Notification

Warnings are early signals: something may go wrong, or a risky action is about to happen.
Inform, but don’t alarm. Explain consequences and offer a clear path forward.

Do

• “Unsaved changes”
  “Save before leaving this page.”
• State the risk and the preventive action.
• Use non-blaming language, especially when the system caused the issue.

Don’t

• Use alarming language without context (e.g., “We’re going to close your account”)

Error Notification

Errors are high-stakes and frustrating.
Be specific, avoid technical detail, and always offer a next step.

Do

• “Couldn’t save changes”
  “Check required fields and try again.”
• If you don’t know the cause, don’t guess—state that something went wrong and provide a next step.
• Suggest recovery actions: retry, undo, review inputs, or contact support.

Don’t

• Lead with technical codes (“Error 0x80070005”) as the main message