Quill Notify 0.2.0: Jefferson in Your Mac Menu Bar

Quill Notify 0.2.0 is out. It puts Jefferson in your Mac menu bar, so the things Jefferson needs to tell you, or ask you, reach you where you already work.

This post covers each feature in the release and how it fits into a working day. If you want to install it now, the download and setup steps are on the Quill Notify download and install page.

Insurance teams spend the day across a lot of windows: email, carrier portals, the agency system, spreadsheets, calls. An assistant only helps if its messages get seen at the right moment. When they don't, they wait in a tab nobody has open.

Quill Notify gives Jefferson a small, steady place on your Mac. It sits in the menu bar and doesn't take over your screen. When something comes up, it shows up in a way that matches how much it matters.

Banners you can answer directly

Most of what Jefferson sends is short. A quick update, or a question that needs a one-line answer. In 0.2.0, those arrive as banners you can answer directly.

You don't have to switch apps, find the right conversation and then reply. You answer in the banner and go back to what you were doing. For the small back-and-forth that fills a day, that saves a lot of context switching.

Full-screen alerts for urgent items

Some things shouldn't sit in the corner of your screen. For urgent items, Quill Notify can show a full-screen alert.

The split matters. If everything is urgent, nothing is. Routine messages stay in banners. A full-screen alert is kept for items that need your attention now, so when you see one, you know it's worth stopping for.

Banners come and go. If you were on a call or away from your desk, you need somewhere to catch up. Quill Notify 0.2.0 includes an inbox, which keeps your notifications in one place so you can go back through what came in.

There is also a widget, which keeps Jefferson's updates in view without opening anything. Between the two, you can work through messages when it suits you, and glance at what's waiting when you only have a moment.

Quiet hours

Notifications are only useful if you can turn them down. Quiet hours let you set times when Quill Notify stays quiet.

Use them for focus blocks, the end of the day, or any stretch when you don't want to be interrupted. The inbox is there when you come back, so stepping away doesn't mean losing track.

Optional SMS

You aren't always at your Mac. For those times, Quill Notify supports SMS as an option.

It's optional on purpose. Some people want certain messages to reach their phone, and some want their phone left alone. You choose whether to use it.

Screenshots on request

Sometimes a message is easier to understand with a picture. Quill Notify 0.2.0 supports screenshots on request. A screenshot is taken only when one is asked for, not by default.

That keeps things simple: a screenshot is there when it helps, and not otherwise.

How it fits together

Each feature handles a different part of staying in touch with Jefferson:

Banners you can answer cover the quick, everyday exchanges.
Full-screen alerts make sure urgent items aren't missed.
The inbox and widget let you catch up and keep an eye on things.
Quiet hours protect the time you need to focus or switch off.
Optional SMS reaches you when you're away from your Mac, if you want it.
Screenshots on request add a picture when words aren't enough.

The aim is not more notifications. It's the right ones, delivered in the right way, with you in control of when and how they arrive.

Getting started

Quill Notify 0.2.0 is available now. The download and install page has everything you need to get it running on your Mac.

Once it's installed, try a few things first: answer a banner directly, open the inbox, and set your quiet hours. Then decide whether you want SMS turned on. A few minutes of setup and Jefferson is one glance away in your menu bar.