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Email Campaigns That Drive Maximum Results: Click Through Rates 29% Higher Than Average

Client: Communication via Design

Project: Email Marketing

Role: Graphic Designer, Campaign Organizer, Data Analytics

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Campaign Objective

  • Partnering with Communication via Design—a full-service marketing firm specializing in brand strategy and communications for non-profits and social enterprises—my role is to boost audience engagement and enhance brand visibility. Past/potential clients, mission-driven organizations, and industry leaders were targeted through strategic email marketing.

  • Campaigns focus on showcasing impact-driven projects, timely organizational updates, and seasonal outreach.

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Project Scope

  • Multiple email marketing campaigns were developed in Mailchimp

  • The process includes importing and managing contact lists, segmenting audiences, setting up audience tags, scheduling campaigns, and analyzing metrics to inform future strategy.

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Strategic./UX Approach

  • Content: Crafts skimmable, visually compelling emails with strong headline-to-text ratios and typographic hierarchy to support quick consumption.

  • Writing: Implements subject lines that resonate with brand messaging to boost open rates.

  • Optimization: Uses A/B testing for subject lines and CTAs to improve open and click-through rates. Ensures mobile responsiveness and accessibility.

  • Cross-Channel Integration: Amplifies email campaign through synchronized social media posts for extended reach.

  • Analytics: Monitors engagement metrics post-campaign to inform strategy based on results and audience behavior.​​

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​​Branding​

  • The 2023 and 2025 holiday campaigns featured custom animations (After Effects and Adobe Express) created from original sketches and storyboard concepts, enhancing brand presence and connection with target audience.

  • Each campaign followed strict adherence to Communication via Design’s brand guidelines and brand messaging, ensuring consistent use of color palettes, typographic styles, and brand voice. This attention to detail supported cohesive storytelling across digital and social platforms, strengthening brand recognition and trust.

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Marketing Results

  • The strategic blend of design, content, and data-driven decision-making led to measurable increases in engagement, solidifying email marketing as a key pillar of the client’s marketing initiatives.

  • Consistently exceeded the average email open rate of 35.63%. The 2025 holiday open rate was 48.4%, and the Simmons Institute for Inclusive Leadership (new client reveal) open rate was 49.7%.

  • Consistently beat average click-through rates of 2.62%. The 2025 holiday CTR  was 3.4%, and the Simmons Institute for Inclusive Leadership (new client reveal) CTR was 5.8%.

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Deliverables

Email Marketing, Social Media, Branding, Animations, Infographics, Analytics, Mailchimp

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Email design is closely related to UX design because it focuses on how people receive, understand, and act on information within a specific digital interaction. While email is often considered a marketing or communication tool, good email design relies on the same UX principles used in product and interface design.

Here are the key ways email design connects to UX.

1. Information Hierarchy and Readability

UX design prioritizes clear information hierarchy so users can quickly understand what matters most. Email design uses the same approach through:

  • clear subject lines and preview text

  • structured headings and subheadings

  • visual hierarchy using typography and spacing

  • scannable layouts

The goal is the same as in UX: reduce cognitive load and help users find key information quickly.

2. User Intent and Context

UX designers think about what the user is trying to accomplish. Email design does the same by aligning content with the user’s needs.

Examples:

  • reminders or confirmations

  • onboarding sequences

  • event invitations

  • educational newsletters

A well-designed email anticipates the user’s next action and supports it clearly.

3. Clear Calls to Action

UX emphasizes guiding users toward meaningful actions. Email design typically includes a primary call-to-action (CTA), such as:

  • register

  • donate

  • read more

  • complete a task

Good UX ensures the CTA is easy to find, clearly labeled, and logically placed in the flow of the message.

4. Mobile and Responsive Design

Most emails are read on phones, so responsive design is essential. Email designers must consider:

  • small screen readability

  • touch targets for buttons

  • image scaling

  • text spacing

These are the same usability considerations used in mobile UX design.

5. User Journey and Product Experience

Email often acts as part of a larger user journey.

For example:

  • onboarding emails introduce new users to a product

  • progress emails reinforce engagement

  • reminders bring users back to complete tasks

In this way, email design functions as an extension of the product experience, guiding users between touchpoints.

6. Accessibility and Inclusive Design

UX principles like accessibility also apply to email:

  • sufficient color contrast

  • readable font sizes

  • descriptive links

  • alt text for images

These choices ensure that more users can access and understand the message.

Why This Matters for Designers

If you’re transitioning from graphic design to UX, email work can demonstrate UX skills such as:

  • designing for user behavior and engagement

  • structuring clear information hierarchies

  • supporting user actions within a journey

  • optimizing mobile usability

In many ways, email design sits between communication design, product design, and user experience.

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