🧭 Why Notifications Matter
Legal professionals are busy. They don’t want to log in just to check if something changed. So for Lura, our legal case platform, I began implementing a notification system to make sure users get the right information at the right time — whether it's a new document, case, or event.
It’s not about spamming them — it’s about respecting their time.
🏗️ System Goals
-
Notify users when:
- A new document is added to their case
- A new calendar event is assigned
- A case is created or updated
Let users view unread/read notifications
Allow notifications to be dismissible
Eventually extend to real-time push or email
🧱 Backend (NestJS + Prisma)
I added a new Notification model in our Prisma schema:
prisma
model Notification {
id String @id @default(uuid())
message String
userId String
isRead Boolean @default(false)
createdAt DateTime @default(now())
}
Every time a document or event is created, the server creates a new notification assigned to relevant users (typically by role or case ownership).
In NestJS, I created a reusable NotificationService:
ts
@Injectable()
export class NotificationService {
constructor(private prisma: PrismaService) {}
async notify(userId: string, message: string) {
return this.prisma.notification.create({
data: { userId, message },
});
}
}
Then I injected that into controllers like DocumentController and EventController to trigger alerts automatically.
💻 Frontend (Next.js + TailwindCSS)
On the user dashboard, I created a simple notification bell icon. When clicked, it shows a dropdown of the latest alerts.
tsx
{notifications.map(note => (
<div key={note.id} className="bg-white shadow-sm p-2 rounded-md">
<p className="text-sm">{note.message}</p>
<span className="text-xs text-gray-400">{formatDate(note.createdAt)}</span>
</div>
))}
Unread notifications are highlighted, and users can mark them as read with one click. I used a small badge icon to show the count of unread alerts.
🔐 Access Control
Only users assigned to a workspace/case receive its related notifications. The backend checks user roles before inserting or displaying alerts.
💡 What I Learned
- Notifications aren’t just UI features — they’re about clarity and communication.
- Timing and relevance matter more than frequency.
- Prisma made it really easy to store and retrieve alert metadata.
❓Question
What’s the worst or best notification UX you’ve seen in a real product? Something that made you go, “Wow, this helped”… or “Why did they send me this?”