Email Design
Email design and development that renders everywhere
We hand-code responsive, accessible templates and test them where people read: Apple at 64.66%, Gmail at 24.11% and Outlook at 6.49% of opens (Litmus, May 2026). Every build is designed for dark mode and a 9-second scan, then proofed across real clients before it ships.
Good email design is a rendering problem before it is a visual one. A layout that looks sharp in your browser can fall apart in Apple Mail or Outlook, and most teams never see it because they preview in one client. We start from the open data: Apple holds 64.66% of opens, Gmail 24.11% and Outlook 6.49% (Litmus, May 2026). We build and test against that reality, so the design you approve is the design your subscribers receive.
Which email clients do you design and test for?
The ones people use. Apple sits at 64.66% of opens, Gmail at 24.11% and Outlook at 6.49% (Litmus, May 2026), and Apple plus Gmail alone cover close to 89%. Each renders HTML differently, so we proof every template across all three. A single uncaught Outlook quirk can push your call to action off the screen for one reader in fifteen.
How do you design for dark mode?
More than 25% of opens now happen in dark mode (Litmus), which inverts colors and can turn a white-background design into unreadable mush. We choose background and text colors that hold up after the swap, prepare logo and icon treatments that stay legible on dark, and check the rendered result in Apple Mail and Gmail. Designing for dark mode is testing, not hoping.
Why does the 9-second read time shape the layout?
People spend about 9 seconds reading an email (Litmus, 2022), so we design for scanning. That means one message per email, a single clear call to action, short blocks of text, and a hierarchy that the eye follows top to bottom. When a layout tries to say five things at once, the 9-second reader catches none of them and moves on.
When does AMP for Email make sense?
AMP for Email puts live content, such as carousels, surveys and forms, inside the message. It works in Gmail, Yahoo Mail and 34 or more ESPs, but Apple Mail does not render it. With Apple at 64.66% of opens, AMP is an optional layer with a required HTML fallback, never the base build. We reach for it only when interactivity genuinely lifts the result.
Why hand-code instead of using a builder?
Drag-and-drop editors generate heavy, fragile markup that breaks across clients and resists accessibility. We write responsive, accessible HTML by hand, with semantic structure, real alt text and readable contrast ratios, then load it into your platform. The result holds together across Apple, Gmail and Outlook and stays editable by your team afterward.
How does design fit the rest of the program?
A clean template only pays off when it carries the right message at the right moment. We wire designs into lifecycle email automation so every flow looks consistent, and into campaign management for sends that match your calendar. Plans and what design work is included sit on pricing.
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FAQ
Email design questions
Which email clients do you design and test for?
We test where people actually read. By client share (Litmus, May 2026) that is Apple at 64.66%, Gmail at 24.11% and Outlook at 6.49%, with Apple and Gmail together near 89% of opens. Apple and Outlook render very differently, so a template that looks right in Gmail can break in both. We proof every build across all three before it ships.
Do your templates support dark mode?
Yes. More than 25% of opens happen in dark mode (Litmus), so a design that assumes a white background can invert into something unreadable. We set background and text colors that survive the swap, supply dark-friendly logo treatments, and test the rendered result in Apple Mail and Gmail rather than guessing at the outcome.
Why does the 9-second read time change the design?
Average time spent reading an email is about 9 seconds (Litmus, 2022). That is a scan, not a study session. We build for the scan: one clear message, a single obvious call to action, short blocks, and a visual hierarchy that reads top to bottom in seconds. Dense layouts and competing buttons lose people before they reach the point.
What about AMP for Email and interactive content?
AMP for Email adds interactivity such as carousels and forms inside the message, and it is supported in Gmail, Yahoo Mail and 34 or more ESPs. It is optional, not a default. Apple Mail does not render it, so with Apple at 64.66% of opens you always need a solid plain HTML fallback. We use AMP only when the use case earns it.
Are the templates hand-coded or built in a drag-and-drop editor?
Hand-coded. Drag-and-drop builders produce bloated markup that breaks across Apple, Gmail and Outlook and is hard to make accessible. We write responsive, accessible HTML by hand, with semantic structure, real alt text and readable contrast, then load the finished template into Klaviyo, Mailchimp or your platform so your team can reuse it.
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