[Windows Phone 8 General] trappxl:
I know this is a hot topic and there may be other threads on this, but hear me out for a second...

This is a cleaner version of a thought I had posted in a WP7 I started a while back (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1925656), influenced by news that MSFT is planning to add a notification centre to the joy of many - i rather they added more functionality to the lockscreen but to each his own. After more thoughts, I figured it was more appropriate to give this its own thread an post it here.

Here's what I'd do as an option for a notification centre while maintaining the OS look and not going the Android/iOS route:

1. Use the solid bar when a more than one type of notification comes in to maintain the minimalistic UI look. Use the following statement to be shown in the bar: "you have x notifications".

-	Color code this bar to a shade of color that couls be specific to the app. If Twitter is purple, you would see a purple bar if there is one tweet waiting, but once there is more than one unread tweet or other another unread notification comes in, the color of the bar can either:

a)	Shifts to the standard accent color for the whole UI chosen by the user.

b)	Retain the color associated with the original app

2. Allow swipes to remove that notification bar. This means:

a) The only ways to access the notifications are:

- swipe left once from the home screen

- swipe twice if starting from the applications list

- double tap the special notification icon on the lockscreen (more on double tapping below)

b) the bar would be permanently removed from the top of the lockscreen. This avoids making the lockscreen look too “cluttered” or “busy”.

3. Use a special icon for the notification bar. This will be visible both in the notification bar itself AND on the lock screen. This means MSFT keeps the up to 5 icons limit and the double tapping on the 6th icon (the notification) allows transitions that open the notifications hub.

4. Double tap on ANY notification icon to open the the associated app itself from the lockscreen. If you've got dual cores, let them work via pretty transitions! Also, double tap reduces accidental press from single tap.

5. Have the following options in settings called Notifications:

- Allow the user to decide how long they want that solid notification bar to be visible on the home screen and app list screen in the same way you have the screen blackouts after inactivity. Conversely, MSFT could determine that for the user.

- Vibrate only, LED flash only or LED and Vibrate after "x amount of time for x number of times" to remind user of notifications. This allows OEMs to build LEDs if they want to take advantage and add to differentiation. Or, MSFT could just standardize the vibrations and LED flashes without taking away the OEM option to build the LED into the handset.

Either way, this ties into the option of having the solid notification bar too above. For example, if the user feels the phone vibrate with the screen off, then they will see either the solid bar or notification icon on lockscreen. If they were on a call or in an app the vibration would help them exist and thus seeing the solid status bar.

- Level of detail: MSFT can either a number count for the notification of a preview of the notification. This should not be user determined in the settings. If preview is activated, and multiple notifications come from different people for the same app (i.e. texts or tweets from separate people) show name and number count.

- Give the user the option in settings to either use the different colors or choose the notifications to have the same accent color as the rest of the UI. Place this either under Notifications or Accent colors.

6. From the start screen, swiping left brings up a notification hub automatically as a standard action.

a) Give this simple hub look by giving each app with notification its own shade of a color separate from the chosen UI color. - This color would apply for single shade in the notification list here, as well as in the bar mentioned in point #1 above.

Or:

Instead of each app having its own shade, use group accent colors based on app types listed in the Windows Store. For example, one shade of yellow for social media apps, one shade for Navigation apps, etc.

b) split the notification hub in half: have a top part of the hub with the following icons: WiFi, Bluetooth, Tethering, Battery percent, Kids mode, and settings (this should not be user selected). Display each options as either:

- Tappable words and the same switches we see to activate/deactivate in the setting already, or

- Use some tappable icons + the switches.

c) Allow each tab (whether tappable word or icon) to open directly to its own specific option within the settings hub - that way you're not digging through extra menus.

d) make tapping the bar and or the notification icon open the transition window to come from the left.

7. When kid mode is active, if there are double taps on icons on lock screen let password prompt come up to access the notification first.

8. If you want the Notification hub to be a full fledge hub itself to make the ideas above seem less cluttered, it can be a three paned hub with the following:

-	main start pane has recent notifications

-	swipe left for the toggles to get to the following icons: WiFi, Bluetooth, Tethering, Battery percent, Kids mode, and settings.

-	swipe right for similar apps relating to settings such as system information (this can be optional)

9. More lockscreen functionality: Double tap the name of the song playing to open the music app directly.

I wish I could do same screen shots for all the stuff I laid out, but I’m not that great with graphics like that…:crying:but I could post shots of existing apps that show the visuals to some of my ideas above.:D

WP8 could be the minimum requirement for some or all of these ideas. Some of these might be more customization options like Android and some MSFT could just user decide. Either way, it’s still in the same framework to allow that middle road of options WP offers to users in comparison to Android and iOS.

Thoughts?