Emails that spark a conversation

EMAIL DESIGN • RESPONSIVE DESIGN • LIGHT MOTION GRAPHICS

Mockup of iphone with an email design on a dark blue faded background. The mockup has orange accents and a butter yellow organic shape added to it.

Doubling email open rates within 12 months by introducing mobile-first, consistent designs.

Company

National Trust of Australia (Queensland)

Contributions

Email design, light motion graphic design, copywriting, audience list segmentation, automated workflows

problems & goals

Delivering personalised, engaging emails that matter to you.

I was asked to find ways to improve the company’s marketing emails and performance. First, I had to understand what isn’t working and why. After analysing the user journey from sign up to receiving emails, and reviewing existing email types and designs, it became evident that there was limited consistency, low personalisation, low accessibility, limited responsiveness and no clear structure.

Goal 01

Increase open rates

Goal 02

Increase click-through rates

Goal 03

Lower unsubscribe rates

proposed solutions & exploration

Idea 1: Advanced segmentation

Existing audience lists were compromised of four large subscriber groups, however, we have more content to share than just four topics. Dividing the audiences into smaller, more focused groups and allowing them to choose what they want to hear about means they receive relevant content to them – and only that content. This can lead to higher engagement, reduces unsubscribes and increased revenue from emails, as recent studies show.

Idea 2: Personalised content

Studies show that personalised emails significantly increase open rates, click-through rates and engagement. In fact, 59% of customers prefer personalised content and relevant messaging. Advanced segmentation will allow to send tailored content to readers that really matters to them. In addition, I propose to start using personalisation tokens, personalised subject lines and more active voice.

Idea 3: Polished & accessible design

Studies suggest that guiding the reader’s eyes with a clear, logical flow is key in helping them find information fast and engage with content. It can increase click-through rates by as high as 40%. Creating email templates for each subscription and introducing a clear hierarchy will provide readers with a consistent, familiar experience. Plus, email designs should be accessible with good colour contrast, image alt texts and readable fonts to ensure everyone can read and interact with them.

Idea 4: Mobile-first layout

The statistics show that around 80% of our subscribers open their emails on their phone. So, creating a mobile-optimised design is crucial to ensure an enjoyable experience for readers. Of course, it still needs to look good on larger devices, but it’s always easier to upscale than the other way around. A mobile-first design would mean large buttons that are easy to click on, good spacing and break up large text blocks. And for ultra important messages, place them at the very top before scroll to get the message across.

the results