Responsive HTML Email
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This is a run down of my process for designing, building and testing responsive HTML emails. I’ve also included lots of links to articles and resources for further reading. This talk was presented at Port80 Winter Localhost 2014 in Newport, Wales.
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Responsive HTML Email
- 1. Responsive HTML Email https://flic.kr/p/idKefi
- 2. Benjy Stanton Freelance web designer
- 5. 1. Gather content 2. List elements on paper 3. Sketch wireframes 4. Mock-up design 5. Write the code 6. Inline CSS 7. Test in web browsers 8. Test with ‘real’ email clients 9. Test on virtual email clients 10. Lift-off!
- 6. Design with data https://flic.kr/p/i3Hm7i
- 9. Start with plain text • Encourages a ‘Content First’ approach • Not having a plain text will anger the spam filters • Some older email clients can’t handle html • Some people prefer plain text and will set their email clients accordingly
- 10. Images off by default • Most email clients block images by default • Content should make sense with images off • Style ALT text so email looks good even without images
- 11. Link to web view • People may have images turned off • The html may not be rendering properly • It’s a handy way to share the email
- 12. Accessibility
- 13. “People spend a lot of time worrying about email clients with 1% usage; accessibility is a much bigger issue” – Mark, Rebelmail
- 15. • Tables are optimised to preserve logical reading order • Heading elements used • Text colour contrast is sufficient • Subject line is concise and descriptive • Headings summarise content that follows • Link text is meaningful (not “read more” or “click here”)
- 17. Back to the design process
- 18. Client brief • main objective of the email • target audience • an early draft of the content • guidance on potential design style (including imagery and brand guidelines)
- 19. Start with real content https://flic.kr/p/ic3Hi9
- 20. • Logo • Main image • Heading • Paragraph (or two) • A main call to action • Contact details • Social media icons • Small print • Unsubscribe link • View in a browser link
- 21. Make a list • List the elements on some paper • Mark them up as h1, p, button etc. • develop a hierarchy and a source order (good for mobile first approach)
- 24. How big should an email be? • 600px wide for “desktop” email clients • I’ve already decided on the source order, so no real need to mock-up at narrower widths • Height and weight: smaller the better
- 25. Keep Things Simple • Use just 1 or 2 columns if you can • Be generous with spacing • Complicated designs take ages to test and debug
- 26. Consider how things will look in the inbox
- 29. Building
- 32. Inline your CSS We need to do this because Gmail strips CSS from the <style> tag.
- 34. Use tables Use <table></table> because Outlook has poor support for CSS based layouts https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/coding/guidelines/
- 35. Attribute selectors Use attribute selectors for any styles contained in your media queries to make sure Yahoo! ignores them. https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/coding/
- 36. Use !important Use !important in your media queries to make sure the styles override any inline styles https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/coding/
- 37. Checklist • Proof read the copy • Check phone numbers and email addresses • Check you’ve included alt text and titles attributes • Remove unused CSS • Optimize images • Check email with images turned-off • Check images and links have absolute paths
- 41. Test on real devices • Gmail.com • Outlook.com • Yahoo.com • AOL.com • iPhone 5c • iPad • Mail (OSX) • Thunderbird (OSX) • Outlook (Windows) • Windows Live Mail
- 43. Inspecting is tricky Test in old browsers like IE7 instead
- 44. Outlook for free Start a Office trial, then don’t renew it. You still get to use Outlook for testing. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.
- 46. Stuck? Check the interwebs • Campaign Monitor • Litmus • Email on Acid
- 47. Beating spam filters • Use test services provided by ESPs • Use www.mail-tester.com • Write good content
- 49. Further Reading Making Responsive HTML Emails benjystanton.co.uk/blog/making-responsive-html-emails/ The Ultimate Guide to CSS campaignmonitor.com/css/ The Email Design Guide mailchimp.com/resources/email-design-guide Can Email Be Responsive? alistapart.com/article/can-email-be-responsive Five Ways to Test an Email litmus.com/blog/five-ways-to-test-an-email
- 50. Further Reading Email Design Review emaildesignreview.com Let’s fix email letsfixemail.com The design of government emails designnotes.blog.gov.uk/2014/09/04/the-design-of-government-emails Litmus Email Builder litmus.com/email-builder What you need to know about using fonts in email adestra.com/what-need-know-using-fonts-in-email
- 51. Further Reading 6 Email Client Hacks You Need To Know freshinbox.com/blog/6-email-client-hacks-infographic Best Practices for Plain Text Emails litmus.com/blog/best-practices-for-plain-text-emails-a-look-at-why-theyre-important The Ultimate Guide to Styled ALT Text in Email litmus.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-styled-alt-text-in-email Image Blocking in HTML Email campaignmonitor.com/resources/will-it-work/image-blocking/ Color blindness and email: Are you designing for accessibility? www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/4267/color-blindness-accessibility-and-the-vision- impaired-in-email-design
- 52. Thanks! benjystanton.co.uk @benjystanton https://flic.kr/p/hXzsG9