Elements of Email Design
An interview with the design experts at Constant Contact
Don Lutkus and Sally Moren work together on Constant Contact's marketing and advertising creative. Combined, they have more than 40 years of experience in design and creative strategy. Who better to ask about email design? In a recent interview, I asked them to answer some questions about the key elements of design.
A: How would you describe a well-designed email campaign?
D: It's easy to read, it's simply designed, it's scanable, and it's professional looking.
S: It should be inviting and professional, represent your company, and show your customers that you value them.
A: You hear a lot about white space. What is it and why is it important?
D: It's a resting place for your eye. It's a part of the design and it helps the reader. If your email is completely filled, it's just visual noise; the person experiencing the communication doesn't know where to look. You use white space to create pauses between different elements on the page.
A. How much copy should an email have?
S: Exactly how much copy it takes to get your reader to do whatever it is you want them to do, and not any more. For instance, longer copy can work for a newsletter, because the reader is expecting to learn something new. Shorter, more promotional copy works when you're trying to create action, like making a sale or inviting someone to an event.
D: And remember, with each moment your reader is making a decision whether to abandon your message or not. Keep the "1-5-10" rule in mind. The reader will definitely give you one second; if you pass, they may give you five seconds, and then if they're really interested they'll give you ten seconds.
A: What about fonts? How many should you use?
S: Limit the number of fonts you use as a means of keeping the communication easy to read. Make sure that the fonts you use are very legible, not fancy or distracting. And limit headline fonts to a single style.
D: With everything that I design, I first put all the copy in the exact same font and the exact same size, and then I go back and create emphasis with font size.
A: How should you use color?
D: Color supports your brand so use color consistently from one piece to another. And again, keep it simple! My favorite metaphor for color is a cooking one. When you cook, you open up your spice drawer. Just because you've got every spice in the drawer, do you use every spice? No, you use a little bit here and a little bit there, just to add a little flavor. And that's how it is with design, you want to use colors for a little bit of flavor.
Use color for emphasis. Use it to call attention to an offer or a call to action. If you use a very different color than what you have in the rest of the email, there is a dissonance that happens in the brain of the reader that says, "Oh, this one's different," and their eye goes there to see what's going on.
S: You want your communication to look inviting, but it doesn't have to be screaming color. And remember warm colors are inviting, those are your reds and golds. And cools like blues and greens are soothing. Also, what about your brand? Are you particular about your brand colors? Are you trying to make it so every time someone sees your logo and your colors they think of you?
A: That brings up a good question. Do all of your emails need to include your company colors and your logo?
D: Yes, consistency is very important. The human eye recognizes color and form more than anything else. Think of your colors and logo as the face of your business. People know my face. If I came into work every day looking like a different person, you wouldn't know it was me.
Your emails can be different, but there has to be something that's consistent in everything that you do, so pick what you're going to keep consistent. For example, your logo is always at the top in a blue banner, and the background of your email will always be light gray. From there you can have some fun and change things up.
A: What are some things to keep in mind when choosing an image for a campaign?
S: First, make sure the image and the copy complement each other, that they are related and that the image supports your message. Also, avoid using images that are busy and have many patterns, like cats playing against an oriental rug and a printed couch. The point of the image is for the viewer to look at the cat, but there's so much else to see. Think before you put an image in there. Ask yourself: "Is it singularly focused?"
A: If the reader were to keep one thing in mind when creating their emails, what would it be?
S: Design and write everything from your customer's viewpoint. You have instincts that, as long as you stand in your customer's shoes, are right more often than you think. The thing that makes you good at running your small business is going to make you good at designing your communications if you remember to put yourself in the customer's shoes.
D: Keep it simple. Get it to the point where it's well organized and it makes sense, then give yourself permission to give yourself a little bit of spice. Remember, you're cooking something. You taste it first and then you go "Okay, that added something to it, that's better."
