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It doesn’t take much to dress up an email. Fartein Valen’s designer, Drops Designkontor, followed the ‘less is more’ motto and added small touches like patterned background images and rounded corners. I especially like how they cut the corner off the main image to match the angular logo. They also gave more than average leading to provide better breathing room for the text and left just enough white space around the edges to keep it from feeling cramped.

My only suggestion would be to swap out the URL in the link text at the bottom with something like ‘Visit our site’ to avoid phishing scares for their readers.

Online stores often need to evoke the sort of feelings that one would get if they visited a physical shopfront, in order to stand out and avoid feeling flat. From the subtle background to the gentle bursts of color in the heading, links and photography, everything in this campaign for Artery Store by Niche Studio just exudes a certain something and makes the design rich but simple enough to highlight the content within.

For the most part, this is an eye-catching campaign that could easily be converted into a template, suitable for our editor. I would, however, suggest editing the permission reminder at the bottom to be more descriptive about how someone opted in rather than just stating that they subscribed.

The true test of a design is when it stands up even if you can’t read the content… And this design from Airside Nippon passes with flying colors. Possessing a serene elegance, it’s pleasing to the eye - regardless of which culture you hail from.

The dark background color and simple font color scheme really make the photography pop and the simple layout allows readers to scan it easily, assuming they understand Japanese. All in all a good job.

This email design for Little Shoppe by Samuel Simon finds strength in its simplicity, with large fields of solid colors, bright photos, and an easy-to-read single-column layout. The ‘Go’ calls-to-action simply stand out - especially with that bright shade of aqua!

That said, it would be good to see more text links in this campaign, as the impact of the buttons could well be lost with images turned off in the inbox. On the topic of text, it’s always good to see a permission reminder at the very top, reminding subscribers why they are getting the email.

Overall, this is an unambiguous campaign, crafted around the notion that keeping it simple is a sure way to stand out. Amongst the private shopping club emails that we regularly see, this is certainly one of the highlights. Well done!

This email campaign for Designer’s Bookshelf by James Santilli is a great example of having all the right elements in all the right places. Being that its a piece for designers, about design books, there’s no doubt that there would have been a lot of pressure to apply a sound understanding of design principles, down to the placement of these elements.

The clear grid layout juxtaposed with vibrant images, text-only headers and distinct links has it all. Even with the images turned off, each link and all vital content are all expertly displayed. Well done!

If you hadn’t noticed, we are suckers for cute, and this email for the ‘First Comes Love’ bridal fair by Studio Bomba sure does cute!

Go ahead and click on the image to view the web version - the bunny hops right across the header! Pair that with a gradient of stunning colors and an impeccable layout and you have the recipe for an all around delightful email design. 

We love a newsletter design that calls on a print-style layout to convey its content - this one by Elliott Routledge really delivers just that. The clear, two-column grid allows one to quickly peruse a menu of information, which fits perfectly with the sender, District Dining.

The header has been deliberately kept small, allowing the meat of the newsletter to be viewed immediately, with both images and text popping through a stark palette. Those who have images turned off won’t have to worry about being left hungry either, as this campaign holds together well under these conditions. A discreet informational section finishes up the ocular feast and provides all the necessary details for some fine District Dining. Great work!

The folks at Vtalk wanted a clean and dynamic design that was just as simple as their phone system. This design by Zero Hour & Co. has delivered, by using a seldom used and underrated approach - the email is almost entirely text-based. This ensures that the message can be read, even when images don’t automatically load.

The newsletter layout makes for an easy read in email clients, as well mobile devices. The intuitive buttons at the bottom also add a sprinkle of illustrative creativity. The only minor suggestion would be to have a text alternative for those buttons, to be sure they available to those who may not have images turned on. Well done!

Simplicity is the key in the announcement email for the ButiClub Exhibition, by designers Hungry Castle. The animated GIF image becomes the focal point of the design, rotating at a pleasant, subtle pace while contained within a neat, structured layout. The Hungry Castle logo, the Like button and the RSVP button are all given plenty of room to breathe and are easy to spot.

All up, this is a light and bright email invitation that puts these unusual butifarra in the spotlight. You would be a silly sausage to not go to this event!