As the graphic designer at Labyrinth Digital, I’ve spent countless hours crafting email campaigns that not only look great but actually drive results. In the realm of digital marketing—where every pixel counts—the design of your emails can make or break a campaign’s success.
With tools like Klaviyo at our disposal, we have the power to create emails that are both beautiful and effective. In this post, I’m breaking down the core email design best practices I rely on every day—plus some Klaviyo-specific tips to help you turn opens into clicks.
1. The Power of Design in Email Marketing
Email marketing still delivers one of the highest ROIs in digital: $36 for every $1 spent, on average.
But strong results don’t come from sending “just okay” emails. Design plays a critical role in how your audience engages with your content—from whether they keep scrolling, to whether they click.
Great design grabs attention, builds brand trust, and drives action.
2. Design for Scanners (Not Readers)
Most people skim emails rather than reading every word—so your design should guide their eyes through the most important info.
Here’s how:
- Use hierarchy: Break your email into headlines, subheadings, and concise blocks of copy.
- Add breathing room: White space helps your content feel clean, modern, and readable.
- Make your CTA pop: Use buttons, bold colors, or underlines to draw attention to your call to action.
Klaviyo’s drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to structure emails with these principles in mind. You can quickly rearrange sections, adjust padding, and format text without any coding.
3. Design for Mobile First
Over 50% of email opens happen on mobile devices, so if your email isn’t optimized for smaller screens… you’re missing out.
Design tips for mobile:
- Stick to a single-column layout
- Use large, readable fonts (14–16px for body text)
- Keep buttons big enough to tap (44px minimum height is a good target)
Klaviyo’s templates are mobile responsive by default, but always test your final design on both desktop and mobile views before hitting “Send.”
4. Keep Your Branding Consistent
Your emails should look and feel like your brand at every scroll.
- Use your brand colors, typefaces, and logo
- Repeat signature visual elements (icons, dividers, etc.)
- Match your email’s tone to your overall brand voice
Klaviyo allows you to save master templates and branded blocks, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.
5. Leverage Klaviyo’s Best Design Features
Here are a few underrated tools built into Klaviyo that I recommend using:
- Dynamic blocks – Show or hide content based on customer data (e.g. location, product viewed, etc.)
- A/B testing – Try out different layouts, image placements, or CTAs to see what performs best
- Reusable sections – Save branded headers, product rows, or footer blocks to speed up your workflow
These features save time and help personalize the experience—two major wins.
don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.
6. Avoid These Common Design Mistakes
Here are a few pitfalls I see too often:
❌ Overloading the design with too many fonts, colors, or buttons
❌ Forgetting to add ALT text for images (important for accessibility + deliverability)
❌ No clear visual flow or too many CTAs fighting for attention
Final Thoughts
Effective email design is more than making things “look good”—it’s about creating clear, accessible,
and compelling experiences for your audience.
Start with a clean structure, design with mobile in mind, stay on-brand, and make the most of what Klaviyo has to offer.
And don’t be afraid to keep testing—your best design work is always just one experiment away.
Need help designing your next campaign?
At Labyrinth Digital, we help brands create email designs that turn clicks into customers.
Let’s chat about how we can elevate your email game.
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