5 best email letter design examples to use in your email campaigns

Most emails are forgettable. Great ones hook you fast, look sharp, and drive clicks. Here’s what sets them apart.

When was the last time you opened an email and thought, “Wow, this looks amazing?”

Most emails are pretty forgettable. But every now and then, you come across one that just works. The design pulls you in, the message is clear, and everything feels effortless.

That’s the power of good email design. It’s not just about making beautiful emails to grab your audience’s attention, it’s also making sure the key message sticks.

But what does that actually look like? In this blog post, we’ll showcase some of the best email letter design examples, and highlight what makes them effective.

Key elements of an effective email design

Before diving into the examples, let’s briefly look at the essential elements that make an email design effective.

Visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is structuring your email in a way that makes readers naturally gravitate toward the most important content.

Some of the key elements here include:

• A solid color scheme to create contrast.
• Bold typography to emphasize headlines.
• Correct font sizes to make sure readers don’t miss important points.
• Clean layout with plenty of white space to keep things uncluttered.

Mobile responsiveness

Data shows that 43.5% of all email opens happen on mobile phones. So, if your emails aren’t optimized for mobile, you could be losing nearly half your audience. And that’s not something you want, right?

Although most email templates automatically adjust to different screen sizes, it’s always good to test your emails across multiple devices and email clients. This way, you can be sure everything displays correctly on a mobile device, tablet, or desktop.

Brand consistency

Brand consistency is making sure that all your emails align with your company’s voice, landing pages, and overall identity. This means using the same colors, fonts, tone, and even placing your social media icons at the same spot across all your emails so that your target audience instantly recognizes your brand.

When customers know what to expect, they’re more likely to trust your content and take action.

Accessibility

A well-designed email should be easy to read and navigate for everyone, including people with visual impairments. That’s why accessibility is so important in email design.

One simple way to improve accessibility is by adding alt text to images. If someone uses a screen reader or has disabled images, alt text ensures they still understand what’s being displayed.

Another key factor is the contrast ratio between text and background colors. High contrast, like dark text on a light background (or vice versa), makes content easier to read, while low contrast can strain the eyes.

Types of email designs with examples

Now, let’s look at the types of email newsletter designs you can use to create effective email marketing campaigns.

1. Minimalist and clean designs

Minimalist email designs are simple and to the point, making them a favorite among luxury brands and tech companies. Their sleek, high-end feel comes from using white space, high-quality images, and a clean layout to avoid distractions and keep the message clear.

Let’s look at an example from Apple:

The email uses white space (or in this case, black space) to keep things easy on the eyes. 

Everything is also placed exactly where it needs to be:

• The Apple logo at the top reinforces the brand.
• The product name “AirPods Pro 2” is bold yet minimal.
• The headline “Pioneering hearing” is short and punchy.
• The supporting text provides just enough information to spark interest.
• The “Buy” and “Learn More” CTA buttons pop without feeling too aggressive.

In addition, instead of throwing in multiple visuals, Apple sticks to one striking image. And it works. The glowing effect around the AirPod hints at its new hearing features in a way that feels futuristic and high-tech, without needing a wall of text to explain it.

2. Bold and visual-heavy emails

These emails use large, vibrant visuals like full-screen product shots or animated elements to grab attention. They also incorporate oversized, eye-catching headlines to ensure the message is impossible to ignore. This makes them a go-to for fashion and e-commerce brands.

Here’s a great example from Urban Outfitters:

This email immediately grabs attention with a large, high-quality lifestyle image. Instead of a generic product shot, it showcases a real-life setting, making it more relatable to the audience. 

At the top, the bold headline, “Most-Liked on Instagram,” is impossible to miss. The oversized typography makes the message clear at a glance. It also reinforces social proof: If these styles are Instagram’s most popular, they must be worth checking out.

The black-and-white text and CTA button create a striking contrast against the bright background, making the call-to-action stand out.

3. Interactive and dynamic emails

Interactive emails often have animations, hover effects, or collapsible sections that make complex product features easier to grasp. As a result, they’re perfect for tech companies and SaaS products. 

For example, instead of a long-winded explanation about a software update, a dynamic content block can show it in action. And rather than listing out key features, a well-placed animated GIF can bring them to life in seconds.

Check out the example below from Adobe:

Even though the email itself isn’t interactive in the traditional sense (e.g., hover effects or collapsible sections), the animated GIF creates a sense of movement and interactivity. It mimics a real-time demo, giving users a preview of what they can achieve using Adobe’s tool.

The headline, “Animate your illustrations,” is also bold and to the point, while the supporting text reinforces the message with a quick explanation. Since the animated GIF already demonstrates the effect, there’s no need for a lengthy description, which keeps the email concise.

Plus, the “Try now” CTA button stands out in a bright blue color that contrasts with the neutral background. This makes it easy for recipients to take action immediately.

4. Editorial-style emails

Unlike flashy, image-heavy emails, editorial-style emails take a more refined approach. They use a one-column layout and clean typography as they tend to be plain and text-heavy. This makes them perfect for premium content newsletters, media publications, and thought leadership pieces where the value lies in the words rather than the visuals.

A strong subject line is key to making this format work. Since there are fewer images to capture attention, the email subject line must immediately spark curiosity or provide a clear value proposition. 

Once you open the email, the body copy takes center stage. It uses larger font sizes, bold headlines, and generous spacing to keep the reading experience smooth and engaging.

Here’s an example from the Hustle:

As mentioned, editorial-style emails rely on well-structured text blocks, and this email nails it. The content is organized into short, scannable paragraphs, making it easy to read. The bold headlines and key phrases, like Wildfires are ravaging Los Angeles, draw attention to important points without relying on excessive visuals.

While editorial emails are mostly text-driven, this one strategically adds an image to enhance the content. The wildfire photo adds an emotional impact to the story while making sure the text remains the focus.

5. Dark-themed email designs

Dark-themed emails have dark backgrounds that play around with contrast ratio. Bright text, glowing buttons, and vibrant accents pop against the dark background, instantly drawing attention to key elements. This makes them ideal for fintech brands and the gaming industry.

Beyond looking good, dark-themed emails help brands feel more premium and cutting-edge. They also cater to the growing number of users who prefer dark mode (a whopping 81.9% of people).

Xbox uses this design pretty well:

The email has a deep black background which makes the vibrant orange and gold highlights pop. The white text also stands out, making it easy to read without straining the eyes.

Moreover, the geometric, angular artwork combined with the dark background makes it feel modern and perfect for a gaming audience.

Design with your audience in mind

There you have it. The best email letter design examples all have one thing in common: they put the user experience first by making the content easy on the eyes, calls-to-action simple to find, and messages easy to understand. 

As you craft your email campaigns, try experimenting with different layouts and visuals to see what works best for your audience so you can generate leads and boost sales.

About the author
Skirmantas Venckus is a writer by day and a reader by night. He hates talking about himself in the third person. He is also the growth hacker at Sender.net – the email marketing provider that is focused on user-friendliness, affordability, and utility.