Message Prioritization: Unlocking Smarter Orchestration
First to Market in our Category
By introducing an explicit prioritization layer, we set the foundation for more advanced orchestration — like holding messages until higher-priority ones are delivered, or optimizing across channels.
Role
User Experience (UI/UX)
Strategic Thinking
Scoping MVP
Design Vision
User Experience (UI/UX)
Strategic Thinking
Scoping MVP
Design Vision
Timeline
August 2024 - Present
August 2024 - Present
Domain
Customer Engagement
Campaign Orchestration
Workflow Automation
Customer Engagement
Campaign Orchestration
Workflow Automation
Team
3 Product Managers
1 User Researcher
2 Engineering Teams
Design Lead (Me)
4 Senior and Executive Leadership Stakeholders
3 Product Managers
1 User Researcher
2 Engineering Teams
Design Lead (Me)
4 Senior and Executive Leadership Stakeholders
Overview
Marketers had no easy way to control which message a customer received when eligible for multiple at once—a gap that weakened engagement and relevance. I partnered with Product from day one to define the vision, uncover user needs, and translate them into a high-impact prioritization capability. The result: an evolutionary leap in customer engagement, ensuring the right message reaches the right customer at the right moment.
Impact
Our beta is currently in development. We are working with co-developers to test out this feature. Here's the impact we anticipate:
First to Market: We plan to be first in market with a prioritization feature in Customer Engagement
Anticipated 10% decrease in volume of prioritization-related support tickets
Anticipated 8% increase in NPS score by our most sophisticated customers
Our beta is currently in development. We are working with co-developers to test out this feature. Here's the impact we anticipate:
First to Market: We plan to be first in market with a prioritization feature in Customer Engagement
Anticipated 10% decrease in volume of prioritization-related support tickets
Anticipated 8% increase in NPS score by our most sophisticated customers
Dig into the Details
Discovering Painpoints
After conducting discovery research with a dozen customers, we found that marketers are highly motivated to solve this problem. Additionally, we were able to further key in on specific painpoints:
Over Messaging: Customers create increasing volumes of content, overwhelming users and leading to disengagement; existing controls like Frequency Capping lack the flexibility and context needed to manage this effectively.
Over Messaging: Customers create increasing volumes of content, overwhelming users and leading to disengagement; existing controls like Frequency Capping lack the flexibility and context needed to manage this effectively.
Business Value Blind Spots: Current tools limit message volume but don’t help decide which messages to send—marketers need prioritization aligned with business goals like revenue, strategic initiatives, and legal requirements.
Business Value Blind Spots: Current tools limit message volume but don’t help decide which messages to send—marketers need prioritization aligned with business goals like revenue, strategic initiatives, and legal requirements.
Lack of User Relevance: One-size-fits-all prioritization doesn’t work; marketers struggle to tailor messages to individual users’ preferences, engagement levels, and journey stages while optimizing for impact.
Lack of User Relevance: One-size-fits-all prioritization doesn’t work; marketers struggle to tailor messages to individual users’ preferences, engagement levels, and journey stages while optimizing for impact.
insight.
The most critical issue we uncovered was that when a user qualifies for two messages scheduled at the same time, Braze defaults to sending whichever message renders first. This approach doesn’t align with marketers’ intent. For example, if a promotional message and a newsletter are competing, marketers would likely prefer the promotional message to be prioritized—but they have no control over that decision in Braze. Additionally, marketers lack visibility into which message was ultimately sent, making it difficult to evaluate or adjust their strategy.
insight.
The most critical issue we uncovered was that when a user qualifies for two messages scheduled at the same time, Braze defaults to sending whichever message renders first. This approach doesn’t align with marketers’ intent. For example, if a promotional message and a newsletter are competing, marketers would likely prefer the promotional message to be prioritized—but they have no control over that decision in Braze. Additionally, marketers lack visibility into which message was ultimately sent, making it difficult to evaluate or adjust their strategy.
System Definition
With a solid grasp of our users’ core challenges, I took the initiative to dive deep into how Braze’s messaging system currently operates. This included mapping out the end-to-end message delivery flow, identifying pain points in prioritization logic, and uncovering gaps or inefficiencies in how messages are selected and sent. This foundational understanding helped me surface both immediate shortcomings and longer-term opportunities for improvement.
Testing
In order to validate which approach to move forward with, we tested two different concepts on different approaches to how we can implement Message Prioritization into Braze.
Approach 1: Category Level Prioritization
Users assign each campaign to a category (e.g., “Promotional,” “Transactional”) and set prioritization rules at the category level.
The system uses these rules to determine which category’s message should be sent when multiple messages are eligible.
Within a category, message delivery timing is further guided by delivery windows, which help ensure the highest-priority message in that category is sent during the optimal timeframe.
This approach gives marketers control over category importance, but not necessarily over specific campaigns within those categories.
Users assign each campaign to a category (e.g., “Promotional,” “Transactional”) and set prioritization rules at the category level.
The system uses these rules to determine which category’s message should be sent when multiple messages are eligible.
Within a category, message delivery timing is further guided by delivery windows, which help ensure the highest-priority message in that category is sent during the optimal timeframe.
This approach gives marketers control over category importance, but not necessarily over specific campaigns within those categories.
Users assign each campaign to a category (e.g., “Promotional,” “Transactional”) and set prioritization rules at the category level.
The system uses these rules to determine which category’s message should be sent when multiple messages are eligible.
Within a category, message delivery timing is further guided by delivery windows, which help ensure the highest-priority message in that category is sent during the optimal timeframe.
This approach gives marketers control over category importance, but not necessarily over specific campaigns within those categories.
Approach 2: Campaign Level Prioritization
Instead of ranking entire categories, users rank individual campaigns within a category.
This gives more granular control—marketers can prioritize specific campaigns over others, regardless of type
Delivery is based on the specific timing set per campaign, not on delivery windows defined at the category level.
This approach offers more direct control over which campaign wins when there’s a conflict, but less abstraction or broader rule-setting compared to Concept 1
Instead of ranking entire categories, users rank individual campaigns within a category.
This gives more granular control—marketers can prioritize specific campaigns over others, regardless of type
Delivery is based on the specific timing set per campaign, not on delivery windows defined at the category level.
This approach offers more direct control over which campaign wins when there’s a conflict, but less abstraction or broader rule-setting compared to Concept 1
key findings.
Marketers found that opting into prioritization during the campaign setup flow, rather than creating a prioritized schedule type, matches their mental model of prioritization.
Marketers want the ability to prioritize messages using rules and categories, rather than having only the ability to rank individual Canvases and campaigns within a category.
The challenge we found: Concepts of time and duration are useful but are perceived to be overly complex. This would need further iteration.
key findings.
Marketers found that opting into prioritization during the campaign setup flow, rather than creating a prioritized schedule type, matches their mental model of prioritization.
Marketers want the ability to prioritize messages using rules and categories, rather than having only the ability to rank individual Canvases and campaigns within a category.
The challenge we found: Concepts of time and duration are useful but are perceived to be overly complex. This would need further iteration.
Marketers found that opting into prioritization during the campaign setup flow, rather than creating a prioritized schedule type, matches their mental model of prioritization.
Marketers want the ability to prioritize messages using rules and categories, rather than having only the ability to rank individual Canvases and campaigns within a category.
The challenge we found: Concepts of time and duration are useful but are perceived to be overly complex. This would need further iteration.
Validating our Approach
Key Functionality and Making the Dream Work
✅ Categories
Allows users to label and bucket messages✅ Prioritization Rules
The system in which users will use categories to rank their campaigns. We plan to scale this with additional criteria✅ Delivery Windows
Allows users to depict a time range in which prioritized messages should be sent✅ Relevancy Windows
Allows users to determine a period of time in which the message can be prioritized, until it's no longer "fresh" (think promotions that only last a few days as a quick example)
✅ Visibility
A record of what messages were prioritized and sent, as well a record of what messages were deprioritized
Key Functionality and Making the Dream Work
✅ Categories
Allows users to label and bucket messages✅ Prioritization Rules
The system in which users will use categories to rank their campaigns. We plan to scale this with additional criteria✅ Delivery Windows
Allows users to depict a time range in which prioritized messages should be sent✅ Relevancy Windows
Allows users to determine a period of time in which the message can be prioritized, until it's no longer "fresh" (think promotions that only last a few days as a quick example)
✅ Visibility
A record of what messages were prioritized and sent, as well a record of what messages were deprioritized
✅ Categories
Allows users to label and bucket messages✅ Prioritization Rules
The system in which users will use categories to rank their campaigns. We plan to scale this with additional criteria✅ Delivery Windows
Allows users to depict a time range in which prioritized messages should be sent✅ Relevancy Windows
Allows users to determine a period of time in which the message can be prioritized, until it's no longer "fresh" (think promotions that only last a few days as a quick example)
✅ Visibility
A record of what messages were prioritized and sent, as well a record of what messages were deprioritized
Balancing Complexity with User Control
A key challenge in the Message Prioritization project was striking the right balance between the system’s underlying complexity and the level of detail we surfaced to users—ensuring we showed enough to meet their needs without overwhelming them. Ultimately, we were able to remove time constructs entirely, as it now would be based on the users' frequency capping rules.
A key challenge in the Message Prioritization project was striking the right balance between the system’s underlying complexity and the level of detail we surfaced to users—ensuring we showed enough to meet their needs without overwhelming them. Ultimately, we were able to remove time constructs entirely, as it now would be based on the users' frequency capping rules.
Unlocking the Future of Message Prioritization
This work not only improved the immediate control and transparency marketers have over message delivery, but also laid the foundation for an intelligent, self-optimizing prioritization system. By introducing the right guardrails and simulation tools today, we’ve unlocked a path toward AI-driven orchestration, cross-channel optimization, and fully automated messaging strategies—transforming how campaigns compete and coordinate in the future. See our future plans below!
This work not only improved the immediate control and transparency marketers have over message delivery, but also laid the foundation for an intelligent, self-optimizing prioritization system. By introducing the right guardrails and simulation tools today, we’ve unlocked a path toward AI-driven orchestration, cross-channel optimization, and fully automated messaging strategies—transforming how campaigns compete and coordinate in the future. See our future plans below!
Now
✅ Priority selection UI
Users can explicitly rank messages using dropdown or drag-and-drop.
✅ Delivery logs with explanations
Users now understand why a message was (or wasn’t) sent.
✅ Opt-in priority behavior
New and active campaigns will need to be opted into prioritization in the campaign setup
✅ User education moments
Tooltips, onboarding, and support docs to demystify the system
✅ Priority selection UI
Users can explicitly rank messages using dropdown or drag-and-drop.
✅ Delivery logs with explanations
Users now understand why a message was (or wasn’t) sent.
✅ Opt-in priority behavior
New and active campaigns will need to be opted into prioritization in the campaign setup
✅ User education moments
Tooltips, onboarding, and support docs to demystify the system
✅ Priority selection UI
Users can explicitly rank messages using dropdown or drag-and-drop.
✅ Delivery logs with explanations
Users now understand why a message was (or wasn’t) sent.
✅ Opt-in priority behavior
New and active campaigns will need to be opted into prioritization in the campaign setup
✅ User education moments
Tooltips, onboarding, and support docs to demystify the system
Next
🔁 “Hold until higher-priority passes”
Let marketers delay non-critical messages until more important ones go out
🔔 Real-time conflict alerts
Surface when two campaigns targeting the same segment could suppress each other
📚 More nuanced delivery rules
Enable prioritization based on tags, channels, or segment type.
📈 Reporting
Build more extensive and comprehensive reporting for users to more easily track cancelled and deferred sends
🔁 “Hold until higher-priority passes”
Let marketers delay non-critical messages until more important ones go out
🔔 Real-time conflict alerts
Surface when two campaigns targeting the same segment could suppress each other
📚 More nuanced delivery rules
Enable prioritization based on tags, channels, or segment type.
📈 Reporting
Build more extensive and comprehensive reporting for users to more easily track cancelled and deferred sends
Later
🤖 Auto-prioritization recommendations
Suggest message rank based on campaign type, user behavior, or past performance.
🌐 Channel arbitration
Optimize delivery across email, push, SMS based on urgency or deliverability.
📈 Self-tuning orchestration engine
Let the system test and learn the best priority configuration over time.
🧠 AI-powered messaging strategy
Generate smart sequences based on engagement patterns, conversion intent, or user lifecycle stage.
🤖 Auto-prioritization recommendations
Suggest message rank based on campaign type, user behavior, or past performance.
🌐 Channel arbitration
Optimize delivery across email, push, SMS based on urgency or deliverability.
📈 Self-tuning orchestration engine
Let the system test and learn the best priority configuration over time.
🧠 AI-powered messaging strategy
Generate smart sequences based on engagement patterns, conversion intent, or user lifecycle stage.
🤖 Auto-prioritization recommendations
Suggest message rank based on campaign type, user behavior, or past performance.
🌐 Channel arbitration
Optimize delivery across email, push, SMS based on urgency or deliverability.
📈 Self-tuning orchestration engine
Let the system test and learn the best priority configuration over time.
🧠 AI-powered messaging strategy
Generate smart sequences based on engagement patterns, conversion intent, or user lifecycle stage.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more?
Contact me for more details on this work!