MarketWatch Price & Volume Alerts

Role: Senior Product Designer
Project Timeline: 8-weeks of design, Soft-Launch 9/7/2023, Full-Launch 9/21/2023

Project Overview

As the Senior Product Designer, I led the redesign of MarketWatch’s Price & Volume Alerts system to replace the legacy alerts, which were being retired by July 1, 2023. The goal was to deliver a fast, intuitive, and scalable alert experience, minimizing service gaps while aligning with user needs and engagement goals.

The project required a rethink of the alert creation flow, prioritizing speed and simplicity while retaining the core functionality for U.S. equities. The redesigned system integrates directly into the Quote page, allowing users to create alerts within seconds rather than navigating multiple screens.

Problem

The legacy Price & Volume Alerts system presented several challenges:

• Complex workflows: Users needed to navigate six input fields to create a single alert.
• Fragmented experience: Alerts were scattered across pages and lacked integration with quotes.
• Underutilized fields: Many options, such as naming alerts or selecting delivery times, were rarely used but added cognitive load.
• Service risk: The legacy system was being shut down, requiring a new solution with minimal service interruption.

Solution

Key Design Goals

1. Simplicity & Speed: Users should create alerts in seconds without unnecessary steps.
2. Seamless Integration: Embed alert creation directly in the Quote page.
3. Focus on Core Functionality: Limit alerts to U.S. equities and intra-day tracking, covering price changes, volume, and 52-week highs/lows.
4. Automation: Auto-generate alert names and use the user’s registered email by default to remove friction.
5. Scalable & Measurable: Include tagging for analytics and reporting to inform business decisions.

Redesigned Flow

Before: Six fields, multiple pages, optional naming, delivery times, and redundant settings.

After:

• Step 1: Select the symbol (auto-populated if accessed via Quote page).
• Step 2: Select alert type:
  • Price change (%) above/below
  • Price change ($) above/below
  • Volume exceeds
  • 52-week high/low
• Step 3: Confirm alert creation – automatic naming and immediate email delivery.

Additional Features:

• Pop-up modal on the Quote page for instant access.
• Alerts trigger immediately when criteria are met; no scheduling required.
• Clean interface with minimal distractions.
• Backend tagging supports analytics and reporting for adoption insights.

Challenges & Design Decisions

1. Scope Limitation: Removed optional fields (delivery address, time of delivery, alert naming) to reduce complexity.
2. Real-Time Triggering: Designed to respect the 15-minute market data delay while ensuring alerts fire correctly until market close (4:15 ET).
3. User Guidance: Auto-population and clear default naming conventions reduced friction for novice and experienced users alike.
4. Cross-Team Collaboration: Worked closely with engineering, product, and marketing to ensure the system could scale and users were notified of legacy deprecation via email and site banners.

Outcome & Impact

• User Efficiency: Subscribers can now create Price & Volume Alerts in seconds.
• Adoption & Engagement: The simplified flow increased alert creation and engagement rates compared to the legacy system.
• Seamless Transition: Replaced a retiring system with minimal disruption, with analytics tracking adoption, click-through, and alert triggers.
• Scalable Infrastructure: Built a foundation for future alert types and integration across Dow Jones brands.

Example Alert:
Price Alert: AAPL Down to 175

Key Takeaways

• Removing unnecessary fields and embedding functionality directly in the workflow drastically improved adoption.
• Minimalist design focused on immediate user value can replace complex legacy systems without sacrificing functionality.
• Collaboration across design, engineering, and marketing ensured a smooth transition for users while meeting business goals.