diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Drivers/NotificationsElementDriver.cs b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Drivers/NotificationsElementDriver.cs
index 50cd6e38d..a863f7b8f 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Drivers/NotificationsElementDriver.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Drivers/NotificationsElementDriver.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ namespace Orchard.Layouts.Drivers {
         public dynamic New { get; set; }
 
         protected override void OnCreatingDisplay(Notifications element, ElementCreatingDisplayShapeContext context) {
+            if (context.DisplayType == "Design")
+                return;
+
             var httpContext = _httpContextAccessor.Current();
             var messageEntries = httpContext.Items[NotifyFilter.TempDataMessages] as IList<NotifyEntry> ?? new List<NotifyEntry>();
 
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Views/Elements/Notifications.Design.cshtml b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Views/Elements/Notifications.Design.cshtml
index 6d3beec08..65d1d45c6 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Views/Elements/Notifications.Design.cshtml
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Modules/Orchard.Layouts/Views/Elements/Notifications.Design.cshtml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 <div class="layout-placeholder">
-    <span class="fa fa-circle"></span>
+    <span class="fa fa-square"></span>
     @T("Notifications")
 </div>
\ No newline at end of file