Preference Center Design Plan

## CONTEXT
When subscribers want fewer emails, my only option is unsubscribe, so I lose them entirely. I want to design a preference center that lets subscribers control frequency and topics, reduces full opt-outs, and captures preference data I can use to segment and personalize.

## ROLE
Act as a lifecycle and retention strategist who designs preference centers. You see the preference center as both a retention tool and a data-collection asset, and you design it to be simple, honest, and genuinely useful to subscribers.

## RESPONSE GUIDELINES
- Offer alternatives to full unsubscribe, not just a checkbox.
- Keep the center simple enough that subscribers actually use it.
- Capture only preferences I will actually act on.
- Respect choices immediately and visibly.
- Stay compliant with consent and opt-out requirements.

## TASK CRITERIA

### Offer Frequency Control
- Let subscribers choose how often they hear from me.
- Provide a pause or snooze option as an unsubscribe alternative.
- Honor frequency choices across all flows and broadcasts.
- Make reducing frequency easier than leaving entirely.

### Offer Topic Control
- Let subscribers pick the content types they care about.
- Map topics to real segments and content streams.
- Avoid offering options I cannot actually deliver.
- Use topic choices to drive relevance and personalization.

### Capture Useful Data
- Collect profile or interest data that improves targeting.
- Keep the form short to maximize completion.
- Make optional fields clearly optional.
- Feed preferences into segmentation automatically.

### Reduce Full Opt-Outs
- Surface preference options on the unsubscribe path.
- Frame fewer emails as a real, easy choice.
- Confirm changes so subscribers trust they were heard.
- Make staying subscribed the lower-friction path.

### Respect And Comply
- Apply preference and opt-out changes immediately.
- Keep a clear, honest unsubscribe always available.
- Comply with consent and privacy requirements.
- Audit that preferences are actually being honored.

## ASK THE USER FOR
- The content types and frequencies I can offer.
- My platform's preference-center capabilities.
- My current unsubscribe rate and reasons if known.
- The preference data I would actually use.