responsive html email
DESCRIPTION
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.TRANSCRIPT
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Responsive HTML Email
Benjy StantonFreelance web designer
Responsive HTML Email
My Process
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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!
Design with data
https://flic.kr/p/i3Hm7i
http://emailclientmarketshare.com/
Progressive enhancement
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
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
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
Accessibility
– Mark, Rebelmail
“People spend a lot of time worrying about email clients with 1% usage; accessibility is a much bigger issue”
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/accessibility/
• 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”)
http://colororacle.org/
Back to the design process
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)
Start with real content
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• 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
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)
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
Keep Things Simple• Use just 1 or 2 columns if you can
• Be generous with spacing
• Complicated designs take ages to test and debug
Consider how things will look in the inbox
Building
http://zurb.com/ink/
http://zurb.com/ink/inliner.php
Inline your CSSWe need to do this because Gmail strips CSS from the <style> tag.
http://inliner.cm/
Use tablesUse <table></table> because Outlook
has poor support for CSS based layouts
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/coding/guidelines/
Attribute selectorsUse attribute selectors for any styles
contained in your media queries to make sure Yahoo! ignores them.
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/coding/
Use !importantUse !important in your media queries to
make sure the styles override any inline styles
https://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/coding/
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
http://emailchecklist.org/
Testing!
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http://mailchimp.com/
Test on real devices• Gmail.com
• Outlook.com
• Yahoo.com
• AOL.com
• iPhone 5c
• iPad
• Mail (OSX)
• Thunderbird (OSX)
• Outlook (Windows)
• Windows Live Mail
http://benjystanton.co.uk/email-test.pdf
Inspecting is trickyTest in old browsers like IE7 instead
Outlook for freeStart a Office trial, then don’t renew
it. You still get to use Outlook for testing. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.
http://mailchimp.com/features/inbox-inspector/
Stuck? Check the interwebs
• Campaign Monitor
• Litmus
• Email on Acid
Beating spam filters• Use test services provided by ESPs
• Use www.mail-tester.com
• Write good content
Nearly there…
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Further ReadingMaking Responsive HTML Emails benjystanton.co.uk/blog/making-responsive-html-emails/
The Ultimate Guide to CSScampaignmonitor.com/css/
The Email Design Guidemailchimp.com/resources/email-design-guide
Can Email Be Responsive?alistapart.com/article/can-email-be-responsive
Five Ways to Test an Emaillitmus.com/blog/five-ways-to-test-an-email
Further ReadingEmail Design Reviewemaildesignreview.com
Let’s fix email letsfixemail.com
The design of government emailsdesignnotes.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
Further Reading6 Email Client Hacks You Need To Knowfreshinbox.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 Emaillitmus.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-styled-alt-text-in-email
Image Blocking in HTML Emailcampaignmonitor.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
Thanks!benjystanton.co.uk
@benjystanton
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