Custom Notifications for MS Access – Subtle Feedback Instead of MsgBox

You click “Save”, send an email, or delete a record – and it feels like nothing happens. Instead of confirming a MsgBox for every action, use subtle, modern feedback notifications: briefly dim the screen, show a central icon, done.

We’ve all been there: you click “Save”, send an email, or delete a record – and it feels like nothing happens. The operation ran in the background long ago, but the user is missing feedback. And that’s key: the user needs to know the system received the input and executed it correctly.

The problem: missing feedback

Of course, the classic solution exists:

MsgBox "The recordset got deleted!", vbInformation, "Information"

But let’s be honest: do we really want a message box every single time, showing the same information over and over – and requiring the user to click “OK”? Probably not.

The alternative: subtle notifications

My solution is simple yet powerful: a small function that briefly dims the screen and displays a central icon with a short message. No buttons, no interruptions – just clean, instant communication with the user.

What’s more, it is:

• quick to integrate
• freely configurable (display duration, color, icon)
• and very pleasant for the user flow

Instead of the classic MsgBox, just use:

myNotification dlgType_DeletedOK

How it looks

An icon is simply displayed in the middle of the screen for the set time – a picture is worth a thousand words.

Here’s what you need

1. tblDLG_Notification – a simple table with two fields:

• DialogType (name)
• an attachment field for your icons

2. frmDLG_Notification – a form that only shows the image from the table. This is where you define image size and visual layout.

3. modDLG_Notification – a module that contains:

• an Enumeration of your dialog types (needed for IntelliSense),
• the core functions that handle the display (no changes needed here).

Creating a new dialog in seconds

1. Add your desired image to tblDLG_Notification
2. Give it a clear name
3. Add that name to the Enumeration in modDLG_Notification

With this little addition, your Access interface becomes more intuitive – and let’s face it, a whole lot “sexier”. You’ll find the detailed description and all notes directly in the code, well documented as usual.

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