diff --git a/exports/atom.coffee b/exports/atom.coffee
index 5149a9451..676e9e4e7 100644
--- a/exports/atom.coffee
+++ b/exports/atom.coffee
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ module.exports =
   BufferedNodeProcess: require '../src/buffered-node-process'
   BufferedProcess: require '../src/buffered-process'
   GitRepository: require '../src/git-repository'
+  Notification: require '../src/notification'
   Point: Point
   Range: Range
   Emitter: Emitter
diff --git a/spec/notification-manager-spec.coffee b/spec/notification-manager-spec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dfc16322c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/notification-manager-spec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+NotificationManager = require '../src/notification-manager'
+
+describe "NotificationManager", ->
+  [manager] = []
+
+  beforeEach ->
+    manager = new NotificationManager
+
+  describe "the atom global", ->
+    it "has a notifications instance", ->
+      expect(atom.notifications instanceof NotificationManager).toBe true
+
+  describe "adding events", ->
+    addSpy = null
+
+    beforeEach ->
+      addSpy = jasmine.createSpy()
+      manager.onDidAddNotification(addSpy)
+
+    it "emits an event when a notification has been added", ->
+      manager.add('error', 'Some error!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'error'
+      expect(notification.getMessage()).toBe 'Some error!'
+      expect(notification.getIcon()).toBe 'someIcon'
+
+    it "emits a fatal error ::addFatalError has been called", ->
+      manager.addFatalError('Some error!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'fatal'
+
+    it "emits an error ::addError has been called", ->
+      manager.addError('Some error!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'error'
+
+    it "emits a warning notification ::addWarning has been called", ->
+      manager.addWarning('Something!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'warning'
+
+    it "emits an info notification ::addInfo has been called", ->
+      manager.addInfo('Something!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'info'
+
+    it "emits a success notification ::addSuccess has been called", ->
+      manager.addSuccess('Something!', icon: 'someIcon')
+      expect(addSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      notification = addSpy.mostRecentCall.args[0]
+      expect(notification.getType()).toBe 'success'
diff --git a/spec/notification-spec.coffee b/spec/notification-spec.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c564edc89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/notification-spec.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Notification = require '../src/notification'
+
+describe "Notification", ->
+  [notification] = []
+
+  describe "::getTimestamp()", ->
+    it "returns a Date object", ->
+      notification = new Notification('error', 'message!')
+      expect(notification.getTimestamp() instanceof Date).toBe true
+
+  describe "::getIcon()", ->
+    it "returns a default when no icon specified", ->
+      notification = new Notification('error', 'message!')
+      expect(notification.getIcon()).toBe 'flame'
+
+    it "returns the icon specified", ->
+      notification = new Notification('error', 'message!', icon: 'my-icon')
+      expect(notification.getIcon()).toBe 'my-icon'
diff --git a/src/atom.coffee b/src/atom.coffee
index feeb7bfd7..a8b4a8ff0 100644
--- a/src/atom.coffee
+++ b/src/atom.coffee
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ class Atom extends Model
   # Public: A {TooltipManager} instance
   tooltips: null
 
+  # Experimental: A {NotificationManager} instance
+  notifications: null
+
   # Public: A {Project} instance
   project: null
 
@@ -220,6 +223,7 @@ class Atom extends Model
     ViewRegistry = require './view-registry'
     CommandRegistry = require './command-registry'
     TooltipManager = require './tooltip-manager'
+    NotificationManager = require './notification-manager'
     PackageManager = require './package-manager'
     Clipboard = require './clipboard'
     GrammarRegistry = require './grammar-registry'
@@ -246,6 +250,7 @@ class Atom extends Model
     @keymaps = new KeymapManager({configDirPath, resourcePath})
     @keymap = @keymaps # Deprecated
     @tooltips = new TooltipManager
+    @notifications = new NotificationManager
     @commands = new CommandRegistry
     @views = new ViewRegistry
     @packages = new PackageManager({devMode, configDirPath, resourcePath, safeMode})
diff --git a/src/notification-manager.coffee b/src/notification-manager.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..499905667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/notification-manager.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+{Emitter, Disposable} = require 'event-kit'
+Notification = require '../src/notification'
+
+# Experimental: Allows messaging the user. This will likely change, dont use
+# quite yet!
+module.exports =
+class NotificationManager
+  constructor: ->
+    @notifications = []
+    @emitter = new Emitter
+
+  ###
+  Section: Events
+  ###
+
+  onDidAddNotification: (callback) ->
+    @emitter.on 'did-add-notification', callback
+
+  ###
+  Section: Adding Notifications
+  ###
+
+  addSuccess: (message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification('success', message, options))
+
+  addInfo: (message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification('info', message, options))
+
+  addWarning: (message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification('warning', message, options))
+
+  addError: (message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification('error', message, options))
+
+  addFatalError: (message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification('fatal', message, options))
+
+  add: (type, message, options) ->
+    @addNotification(new Notification(type, message, options))
+
+  addNotification: (notification) ->
+    @notifications.push(notification)
+    @emitter.emit('did-add-notification', notification)
+    notification
diff --git a/src/notification.coffee b/src/notification.coffee
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..04de5db18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/notification.coffee
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+
+# Experimental: This will likely change, do not use.
+module.exports =
+class Notification
+  constructor: (@type, @message, @options={}) ->
+    @timestamp = new Date()
+
+  getOptions: -> @options
+
+  getType: -> @type
+
+  getMessage: -> @message
+
+  getTimestamp: -> @timestamp
+
+  getDetail: -> @optons.detail
+
+  isClosable: ->
+    !!@options.closable
+
+  getIcon: ->
+    return @options.icon if @options.icon?
+    switch @type
+      when 'fatal' then 'bug'
+      when 'error' then 'flame'
+      when 'warning' then 'alert'
+      when 'info' then 'info'
+      when 'success' then 'check'
diff --git a/static/utilities.less b/static/utilities.less
index 88a5209cf..dd71b44dd 100644
--- a/static/utilities.less
+++ b/static/utilities.less
@@ -64,13 +64,3 @@ div > .inline-block-tight:last-child {
     margin-left: 0;
   }
 }
-
-.error {
-  -webkit-animation: flash-error 0.3s ease-in;
-}
-
-@-webkit-keyframes flash-error {
-  0% { background: @background-color-error; }
-
-  100% { background: auto; }
-}