Modern Email Design: Personalisation, Motion, and Impact

Diana Buda
Apr 28
3 min read

Updated: May 21

Two kids interact with colorful rotating panels depicting cartoon characters against a tiled wall. One child spins a panel, creating motion blur. — Photo by Minator Yang on Unsplash

Why Visual Email Design Matters

You’ve planned your email, structured the content, created a strong subject line and sender name. So what comes next? The most exciting part: designing your email.

Because your readers spend around 10 seconds scanning an email, the visual impact it makes is crucial. Good design ensures that your message is noticed, understood, and acted upon quickly.

The Basics Still Apply: Strong Layout Principles

Hands assembling colorful Lego pieces on a carpet; focus on teamwork, creativity, and play with a blurred Lego structure in the foreground. — Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash

Even as email design evolves, good layout principles remain essential. A few reminders:

Use visual hierarchy to your advantage: Structure your content into clear sections and use typography and imagery consistently to guide the eye.
Place your CTA carefully: Make it stand out visually and position it where action feels natural.
Prioritise mobile-friendly, accessible and dark mode compatible designs: These are now the standard, not an extra.
Keep visuals purposeful: Your design should support the message, not overwhelm it.
Stay consistent with your brand: Colours, typography and tone should feel familiar, even if you adapt them slightly.

That said, email design is also a space to experiment (within reason). Unlike websites or core brand assets, an email is a temporary interaction. You have more room to test ideas and you can always send another one tomorrow.

Going Beyond Static Email Design: Modern Email Visuals

Shadow of a person waving against a teal wall. Arm raised. Two planter boxes at the bottom, one pink, one green. Calm, sunny setting. — Photo by Ioana Cristiana on Unsplash

Today’s audiences expect more than static layouts. Adding personalisation and dynamic visuals can significantly increase engagement, making your emails feel fresher and more relevant.

Adding Personalisation

Personalised Images: Include personalisation directly in your visuals. For instance, in a birthday email, create a banner that says: Happy Birthday, [Name]. Tools like NiftyImages or Litmus Personalised Images make this straightforward.
Countdown Timers: If you’re sending an offer or promoting an event, embed a countdown timer to create urgency. Important: make sure that once the countdown expires, a fallback message displays — not a broken or confusing timer.
Geo-targeted Banners: Personalise banners by location. For example, highlight a user’s nearest store or event based on their city.

Adding Motion and Interaction

GIFs: Short, subtle animations or even snippets from video clips can add energy to your design without overwhelming it.
Polls: Embedding a single poll question inside your newsletter is a fantastic way to boost interaction. It invites a click without asking for a full form submission.
Carousels: Carousels let you display multiple offers or features in a small space. (Use carefully and always provide fallback content.)
Videos: Technically, you can embed videos, but support is limited. Videos only auto-play in Apple Mail and a few others. Always plan for an alternative (like a clickable gif or static image) for wider compatibility.

Speed, Accessibility and Performance: Non-Negotiables

Child with a scooter in a tunnel, colorful tiled wall in the background. Blurry cyclist passes by. Busy and dynamic urban scene. — Photo by Red John on Unsplash

Creative visuals should never come at the cost of usability.

Optimise images: Large file sizes mean longer load times and higher abandonment rates.
Always use descriptive alt text: Especially for personalised images, otherwise key information is lost.
Test animations carefully: Make sure they work well on different devices and that you have a fallback option.
Prioritise accessibility: Maintain contrast, avoid flashing images, and ensure focus states remain visible.

Real-World Email Design Examples

Extending Brand Guidelines

Doordash Easter email example — Easter campaign by DoorDash is a brilliant example: See it here → Really Good Emails

The Doordash design steps slightly outside their standard brand colours, introducing a soft pastel palette for the holiday. It uses those colours consistently across offers and supporting visuals — maintaining brand recognition while adapting to the moment. Visual hierarchy is strong, making the email quick and easy to scan.

In a similar way, I designed a Halloween-themed email for The Ignite Collective that stayed true to the brand’s colours but introduced event-specific graphics.

I incorporated dark backgrounds (not typically used by the brand) to create a bold, seasonal effect.
Graphics remained on-brand while adding a festive twist that captured attention without feeling out of place.

Personalised Images and Countdown Timers

Verve Client Seminar Invitation with personalised image and a count down timer to the event date and time — Verve Client seminar invitation email

I embedded personalised banners with the recipient's first name and added a countdown timer leading up to the event. This created both personal relevance and urgency, two of the strongest drivers for email engagement.

In Summary: Visuals That Drive Action

Hands painting with colorful paints and brushes on paper. Bottles of paint are nearby. Person wears a plaid shirt. Creative scene.

Modern email design is about more than good looks. It’s about clarity, personalisation, and movement. By combining strong layout principles with personalised visuals, motion, and interactivity, you create emails that not only catch attention, but inspire action.

Focus on making every visual element purposeful, accessible, and optimised.