Thanks for reading! Newsletters Get Looks is about the visual elements of email newsletters, to help you plan layouts that make your content shine. If you received this from a friend, subscribe here.

Boost your impact in the inbox.

The visual aspects of your newsletter start even before readers open your email.

In this issue I'll share examples of elements that help a) stop the scroll, and b) create a unique look so that readers will recognize an email from you in an instant.

I strategized and sent more than 40 bulk emails in the last year, including many A/B tests, and have been closely studying what other creators do.

I'll cover:

• Emojis in the subject line

• Punctuation, letters, and numbers

• Visual aspects of the “from” display name

• Profile photo, logo, or avatar in the “from”

• Preview text

Emojis in the subject line

With many audiences, using an emoji in the subject line increases the open rate and click rate. You should test with your audience. MailerLite did a study of 48 industries to analyze if the impact was positive, negative, or neutral. Newsletter Glue has written about how to use emojis in subject lines, including testing them in different browsers.

Several people who really know their stuff put the emoji in the middle of the subject line. Note that involves writing the text in two separate phrases.

I generally don't recommend putting the emoji at the beginning of the subject line because there's already an element there, such as the vertical edge of the email client's UI, or white space.

However, with the right design element, putting the emoji at the beginning can work well. Rob Lennon uses a yellow circle, which echoes the yellow background of his profile photo when viewed on mobile:

At work I used to pick emojis that related to the subject of the editorial content, but some of the emojis which have literal meanings have bland–or confusing–visual impact. So now I select emojis for their color and shape.

Goodbye intricate sketches.

Hello red burst, rocket, red mailbox, yellow lightbulb, and red chili pepper.

Only use two emojis if it uniquely relates to your editorial content, as Accidentally Wes Anderson did last week:

Punctuation, letters, and numbers

For the "text" of the subject line, be aware of letter sizes and shapes, numbers, and punctuation. See how you can match the meanings and shapes of elements in order to maximize visual impact.

Observe how these combinations stand out:

You're probably thinking this is starting to look like crass marketing. But you can choose a careful balance.

Yes, look at marketing emails for ideas:

Shutterfly says FIVE FREEBIES, using lots of Es and alliteration with the Fs.

Clinique uses all caps with spaces between the letters.

Athleta starts with RE. That's just cheesy. Don't do that.

My point is to think about all the keys on your keyboard as design elements rather than the meanings they convey and come up with something creative that suits you and your content.

Ann Handley starts every subject line with some block letters and numbers that mark the numeric sequence of the issue. Very few people in my inbox do that. She's developed strong brand recognition. I know TA means Total Annarchy.

Visual aspects of the “from” display name

The “friendly from” is the name that displays in the inbox. Most email newsletter tools allow you to determine what will be displayed.

A big decision is whether to lead with your name, or the name of your publication. Consider the visual impact as well as the brand recognition of the words you’re choosing. I'm not saying to change your name to suit the design but see if there are visual elements available in your name or the publication name that you can build on.

Short names have an advantage because they won’t be cropped, and they leave white space. L.L. Bean benefits from the repetition of the Ls:

So far I’ve opted to use the title of my publication, because you may not remember me by name yet. In the future I may change the “from” to be just Margie in order to be short and use the benefit of white space.

Or maybe “MW | Newsletters Get Looks” to take advantage of the contrasting shapes of the M and the W. (What do you think?)

Use of lowercase can also draw attention. Beehiiv emails come from “beehiiv” and use two forward slashes.

Iykyk careers also uses lower case:

Some senders use vertical pipelines, like these || to divide the words used in the “from.”

Profile photo or avatar

If you can add a profile photo to your send address, do it!

It adds huge brand recognition, or if you want to emphasize yourself, it helps people think of you as a unique person rather than a newsletter.

Preview text

Think about which elements you can control in your preview text. That varies by email service provider. And also think about how the meaning and shapes relate to your subject line.

It may be best to use simple lower-case text in the preview.

Or extend the letters in some words:

Or use punctuation:

After you finish reading to the bottom of this issue below, go back to your inbox. Let your eyes wander. What catches your attention, and why?

Note the use of the elements I mentioned. Then use all your other devices and email clients to see how the appearance of those elements varies.

Which solutions do you like best? Which fit your content?

The ultimate goal is for people to recognize your emails instantly so that even if they can't open an issue that day, they'll remember there's a new email and go back to read it the next day.

Aim to become appointment reading.

What other examples of visual use of the inbox have you seen? Add a comment below or email to me at [email protected].

Other visuals

I'll occasionally write about visuals in other media, because interacting with creativity anywhere helps feed our brains.

Delight in something unexpected

Jacquemus’s publicity stunt two weeks ago yielded wonderful images:

Style in motion. Mechanization of a luxury good. Surprises us like Claes Oldenburg’s public art installations.

Thank you again for reading! Feel free to send feedback and suggestions. Get in touch at [email protected], or connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Best,

Margie