This document provides summaries and analyses of email designs from various companies in 2011. It discusses things like the visual elements, layouts, calls to action, and consistency with the companies' brands. Some key emails highlighted include one from Alertful with pleasing colors and images relating to the content, and another from LinkedIn that engages users by showing their professional connections. The document also comments on best practices like using shapes and sizing in emails to guide the eye in a fluid way down the page.

1. Email Designs 2011
Ken Yan
Marketing Analyst

2. Alertful
The soft colors and
light-hearted images in
this email from Alertful
are very pleasing to the
eye. The rocket ship
and the postage stamp,
relate to the content of
the email. This email
also has a strong call-
to-action with a backup
text link should the
button not be visible.

3. 1
2
3
4
minted
This email makes it easy for your
eyes to flow seamlessly left to
right down the email with the
great image placement.

4. LinkedIn
It’s a pleasure to
anyone opening this
email from LinkedIn
and seeing so many
familiar faces from
your professional
network. This highly
engaging email entices
recipients to click on
their connection’s
picture to see what has
happened the past
year.

5. Social Branding
Although changing the
design or color of social
icons give emails more unity
and harmony, it is against
social media brand
permissions usage.

6. Asana
Asana is a web app offering task
management for teams. Their
marketing strategy holds true to
its product with a to-do list sign
up and follow-up email
verification featuring the same
to-do list. This clever marketing
technique proves to be a very
fluid and consistent experience
for the user and encourages
them to check off the last box to
complete their registration.

7. bluebell
This is a beautifully
designed shifting two-
column layout. The shapes
and sizes of the text boxes
work well together while the
subtle colors make the
images stand out. It looks
great as a newsletter
template that can be
reused with new content
weekly or monthly.

8. Amazon
Form fill in email is
something we don’t see
often. Amazon sends this
automated email
requesting feedback after
a purchase. A popup alert
appears after clicking
“Submit Feedback”.

9. SugarCRM
A rather dull email design
from SugarCRM to
promote their upcoming
SugarCon. A clear call to
action is missing. Also, no
links in the email lead
directly to the registration
landing page.

10. LinkedIn Share
We see Facebook share, Tweet this, and
forward-to-a-friend but we rarely see a
LinkedIn share. LinkedIn share is
appropriate here in this professional
newsletter more so than the popular
Facebook share.

11. marketShift
This wide, compact and short layout makes this email feel more like
a postcard invitation than a newsletter. The use of background
shapes add a nice lasting touch to the otherwise simple and clean
looking design.

12. Additional Resources
 Responsys Email Design Look Book 2011
 Email Institue Fall 2011 Email Gallery Look Book
 http://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/