🧠 Improving Your Email Design 101

Welcome back to the 32nd edition of the Nord Media newsletter.

“Good design is obvious. 

Great design is transparent.” 

– Joe Sparano

When it comes to email, design is everything, especially in e-commerce. 

You want your emails to be more than just pretty pictures and text. 

They need to grab attention, keep it, and make your audience want to take action. 

Easier said than done, right? 

Don't worry, I got you covered.

Let’s break it down, step by step, to create email designs that don’t just look good, but actually get results.

Step 1: Gather Brand Assets

Before you begin, make sure you’ve got all the brand’s visual assets at your disposal. This is your foundation, and you can’t build anything solid without it. 

You’ll need:

Visual Identity Assets:

• Logos: Get all variations (horizontal, stacked, monochrome, etc.).

• Color Codes: Know the brand colors inside and out—there’s no room for guesswork here.

• Fonts: Collect every font and style the brand uses to maintain consistency.

Brand Guidelines:

This is your rulebook. 

Even if you think you know the brand well, always refer to the guidelines. Some are detailed and strict, while others leave room for creativity. 

Either way, knowing the boundaries lets you push them strategically.

Photo & Asset Library:

If the brand has a pre-organized photo library, use it. 

Pulling images from a website or social media is an option, but it’s always best to use their approved imagery. 

It saves time and ensures that you’re in line with the brand’s look.

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Step 2: Define the Dos and Don’ts

Knowing what to focus on and what to avoid ensures you stay aligned with the client’s expectations. 

This step will help maintain the integrity of the design and the brand.

Dos:

What does the brand or client love? 

Identify the key elements they want to see more of, whether it’s a certain type of button, color, or graphic style. 

This clarity will help you design with purpose.

Sample Dos:

• Rounded buttons

• High-quality, lifestyle images

• Clean, minimal layouts

Don’ts:

Equally important is knowing what to avoid. Is there something the brand finds overused, off-brand, or just plain wrong? By keeping these in mind, you avoid costly mistakes.

Sample Don’ts:

• Overly complicated layouts

• Stock images that feel generic or staged

• Busy, cluttered visuals that overwhelm the message

Step 3: Gather Inspiration – The Creative Jumpstart

Starting from a blank slate isn’t ideal. 

The best designs often come from building on great ideas. So, take a few minutes to browse email inspiration galleries like Really Good Emails or Milled. 

Don’t rush this step. Go with the flow of the creative process.

• Look for layouts, typography, color schemes, and interaction styles that resonate. Save them for reference.

• You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time, but adapt the trends you see to fit the brand’s identity.

• Keep a dedicated inspiration board in Figma or another tool where you can pull quick references later.

Step 4: Set Up Your Design System in Figma 

The better you organize Figma, the smoother your workflow will be.

1. Create Separate Pages for Everything:

Set up dedicated pages for brand assets, individual campaigns, inspiration, and flows. 

This not only helps you stay organized but also speeds up the design process as you won’t have to hunt for files mid-project.

2. Frame Size Matters:

Emails are typically 1000px wide, but remember—mobile-first is the golden rule in email design. 

Most of your audience will open emails on their phones, so optimize for smaller screens. Keep things concise to avoid overwhelming your reader.

3. Use Guides:

Set up grids and guides to maintain alignment and hierarchy. 

Good design is all about structure, and these simple tools ensure your email looks polished and professional. Use them for text, images, and CTAs to maintain a solid flow.

Step 5: Design the Email – The Creative Execution

Now it’s time to put everything together. 

Here’s where you focus on the details that make a big impact. 

Great email design requires attention to fundamental principles.

Hierarchy:

Your content should guide the reader's eye through the email, helping them absorb information in a logical order. 

Think of it as storytelling—what’s the main point, and how do you build up to it?

• Headlines: Grab attention quickly.

• Subheadings: Provide additional context.

• Body Copy: Make it easy to skim, and emphasize key points with bold text or larger font sizes.

Contrast:

If you want your email to convert, the content must be easily readable. 

Use contrast to ensure that text stands out against its background, especially for CTA buttons and important copy. 

Test different color combinations to maximize legibility without compromising the brand’s palette.

Alignment:

Text alignment is often overlooked but makes a significant difference in readability. 

Center-align short copy for mobile, but for longer text-heavy sections, left-aligning is usually best. 

Ensure your buttons and images are aligned consistently to avoid a disjointed look.

Spacing & Scale:

Spacing is essential in making your email easy to read. 

Too tight, and it feels cramped; too loose, and it can feel disconnected. 

For body copy, aim for font sizes between 35pt and 45pt, with plenty of white space around key elements to give the design room to breathe.

Step 6: Test and Refine – Don’t Skip This!

Before sending your design off for review, give it a thorough once-over. Here’s what to check:

• Cross-Device Testing: Make sure the design looks just as good on mobile as it does on desktop.

• Proofread: Typos and copy errors can ruin an otherwise flawless design.

• Alignment & Spacing: Go over your guides again to make sure nothing is off-center or awkwardly spaced.

Closing Thoughts

The best email designs are invisible to the reader. 

They get results without being so “in-your-face.”

Focus on the fundamentals, keep refining your approach, and always look for ways to enhance both the aesthetics and the function of your emails. 

The balance between creativity and clarity will set your designs apart.

Want to learn from me or connect on other platforms? 👇
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Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.
Sincerely,
Kody