Learn how to design beautiful emails using Figma and Canva for your Shopify e-commerce brand. You'll get some tips, tricks, and best practices to create stunning, effective email campaigns that drive results. (With templates)
The Power of Visual Design in Email Marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to reach and engage with customers, especially for Shopify e-commerce brands.
I've talked ad-nauseom on just how important visual email design is in 2024, but thats for good reason! Especially with inboxes becoming more crowded, the importance of visually stunning emails cannot be overstated.
In this guide, we'll walk through two of the best modern design tools—Figma and Canva— that'll help you create beautiful and effective email designs that capture attention and most importantly drive conversions.
"Design is the last great competitive advantage"
Seth Godin (Prolific Email Marketer)
1. Why Do Visuals Matter in Email Marketing ?
Great question, glad you asked.. Visual design plays a crucial role in email marketing. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with your audience. Think about it, the average person is exposed to 10,000+ ads ... But how many are actually remembered ? Exactly.
Visual's are what will help you stand out from the crowd.
A well-designed email:
Enhance's Brand Identity:
With the consistent use of colors, fonts, and imagery you use in your other marketing channels your brand's look & feel will stick. Offering a sense of cohesiveness.
Improve's Engagement
Increase's Conversions
Luckily in 2024, you don't need to be Van Gogh or a coding wizard to create stunning designs. With tools like Figma and Canva, even without a design background you can create a professional-looking email that captivates your customers & enhances your brand.
2. An Overview of Figma and Canva
Figma and Canva are two of the best tools for creating stunning email designs. They're also FREE!
Each of course, have their own set of features, benefits, and inevitable drawbacks, it's a different strokes for different folks sort of situation. But I tend to use them both since you can cover all your the design bases. Plus they're free, so why not!
Figma is a powerful, cloud-based design tool that’s favored by professional designers for its quick learning curve, collaborative features and flexibility.
Here’s what makes Figma stand out:
Ease of Use: Figma is feature-rich, but its super intuitive and the interface makes it super easy to learn. The advanced features are great for design professionals. It's like photoshop but without all the overwhelming stuff lol.
Real-Time Collab's: You can have multiple team members work on the same design simultaneously, making it great for teams.
Precision: Figma allows for pixel-perfect designs, this isnt hyperbole, you can literally zoom and edit a single pixel. This ensures that your emails look exactly as intended.
Versatility: With Figma, you can create everything and anything, from simple email templates to complex, interactive designs.
Canva is another cloud-based tool known for its user-friendly interface and wide range of templates. It’s really popular for people who need to create beautiful designs quickly and without much technical know-how. It's also pretty easy learn.
Ease of Use: Canva’s drag-and-drop interface is incredibly intuitive, making it easy for anyone to create professional-looking emails.
Pre-Designed Templates: Canva offers tons of pre-designed email templates that can be customized to suit your brand & aesthetics.
Affordability: Canva offers a free version with plenty of features, making it a great option for solo entrepreneurs, small businesses and startups.
Integrations: Canva also integrates seamlessly with various platforms, including Shopify, making it super easy to import your designs directly into your email campaigns.
3. How to Use Figma for Designing Shopify Email Campaigns
Figma is a powerhouse when it comes to designing emails for Shopify brands. Here’s how to maximize its capabilities:
Step 1: Setting Up Your Design File
Create a New Project
Start by creating a new project specifically for your email campaigns.
Set Up Frames
Grid Layout
Step 2: Designing the Email Template
Branding Elements
Import your brand’s logo, colors, and fonts to maintain consistency across all your emails.
Images & Icons
Typography
Step 3: Collaborating with Your Team
Real-Time Editing
Invite your team members to collab on the design in real-time, making sure that everyone's on the same page.
Commenting
Step 4: Exporting and Integrating with Shopify or Klayvio (Recommended)
• Export Assets: Export your design elements as PNGs or SVGs for easy integration into your email marketing platform. (Make sure you compress them!!! You can use IluvIMG, they're free)
• Responsive Design: Ensure that your email design is responsive and looks great on both desktop and mobile devices.
Quick Tips and Tricks for Figma
• Use Components: Create reusable components like buttons and icons to save time and maintain consistency.
• Leverage Plugins: Figma’s plugin ecosystem is vast—use plugins like Unsplash for free high quality images or Content Reel for dummy text to take your designs to the next level.
• Interactive Test Emails: Create interactive test emails to double check the user experience before sending out your emails.
4. How to Use Canva for Designing Shopify Email Campaigns
Canva is perfect for those who need to design beautiful emails quickly. Here’s how to make the most of it:
Step 1: Choosing the Right Template
Email Templates: Start with one of Canva’s email templates that closely matches your brand’s style.
Customize Colors and Fonts: Adjust the template’s colors and fonts to align with your brand guidelines.
Step 2: Adding Visual Elements
Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easily add images, icons, and shapes to your design with Canva’s drag-and-drop interface.
Use Canva’s Elements: Take advantage of Canva’s vast library of free and premium elements, including stock photos, illustrations, and icons.
Text Formatting: Customize text with different font styles, sizes, and colors to make your message stand out while staying on brand.
Step 3: Integrating with Shopify
• Download Your Design: Once your design is complete, download it in your preferred format (PNG, JPG, PDF), make sure you compress it!!!
• Upload to Shopify: Upload the design to your email marketing platform integrated with Shopify and use it in your campaigns.
• Responsive Design: Like Figma, make sure your Canva designs are responsive and optimized for all devices.
Quick Tips and Tricks for Canva
• Brand Kit: Set up a Brand Kit in Canva to keep your brand’s colors, fonts, and logos for easy access
• Animations: Add subtle animations to your design elements to make your emails more dynamic and engaging.
• Collaboration: Canva also supports team collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same design.
5. Benefits and Drawbacks: Figma vs. Canva
While both Figma and Canva are excellent tools for designing beautiful emails, they each have their pros and cons:
Figma: Pros and Cons
Pros:
• Advanced design features for precise, professional-grade designs.
• Real-time collaboration makes it ideal for teams.
• Supports complex, interactive designs.
• Free version!
Cons:
• Steeper learning curve compared to Canva.
• May be overkill for simple designs or those with minimal design experience.
Canva: Pros and Cons
Pros
• Extremely user-friendly, with a shallow learning curve.
• Vast library of templates and elements for quick design.
• Free version offers substantial features.
Cons
Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Tool for Your Shopify Brand
Design beautiful emails using Figma and Canva for your Shopify e-commerce brand, both Figma and Canva have their strengths (I personally use both for design). The best choice depends on your specific needs, design experience, and the complexity of your campaigns. Design beautiful emails using Figma and Canva
• Use Figma if you need advanced design capabilities, want to create pixel-perfect, professional-grade emails, or require real-time collaboration with your team.
• Use Canva if you need to design emails quickly, want a user-friendly interface with plenty of templates, or are working on simpler campaigns.
Take Your Email Marketing To The Next Level
In 2024, visually stunning & well designed emails will set your Shopify brand apart from the rest.
By leveraging the power of tools like Figma and Canva (FOR FREE), you can create visually striking emails that don't just capture attention but also drive engagement and conversions. Email's that'll resonate & be remembered.
Wether your a brand new to design or a seasoned vet, these tools will supercharge your design efforts.
With a strong visual design foundation, your emails will not only look great but also perform better—leading to increased open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, sales.
Start experimenting with Figma and Canva today, and watch that email attributed revenue 🚀.
if you'd like our team to help you optimize your email marketing reach out to us here --> Contact us 😁
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