Museum Email Template Design

Client:
California Academy of Sciences Museum

San Francisco, CA

2017 – 2024

Designed an email template design system in light mode and darkmode with a series of responsive content blocks for the museum. The template included color themes for unique email audiences (Members, NightLife, BioGraphic, and ticketing).

Email template elements

  • 1. Image and text - the main blocks used across emails.

  • 2. Mobile examples. Showing blocks with two different image sizes in dark mode.

  • 3. These side-by-side blocks were used in alternating stacks and had a medium level of importance in the visual hierarchy

  • 4. The type sizes and images were creates to scale nicely between viewing on larger desktop screens and the most common mobile viewing audience.

  • 5. For this featured content block, we created a palette of color options and the block could include buttons, a headline, and body copy sized text. All optional based on the needs of the specific email.

  • 6. Mockup of a block that displays the membership/donor information of the email recipient.

  • 7. Header block. A museum branded asset and a secondary header assets which is specific to each email group or audience. This allowed branding at a macro and more granular level. Teams could choose to create custom header graphics for a branded series of emails.

  • 8. Footer information. Including social links, mission statements, logos, and important links.

Templates used in situ

This new flexible method of creating emails meant that teams needed to be taught how to use the blocks. Example templates and mockups of past emails were used to visualize.

Mockups of the email blocks in situ for BioGraphic and the general email template. The mobile first layout has an array of image and text blocks and specialty blocks such as the one shown here displaying membership information.

Mockups of the emails for Donor teams and the general email template. Examples include pre-email lift notes, photo credits, email signatures including blocks allow for pacing of content.

Emails Before update

The old email client that was updated as part of the redesign

The Team

Andrew Sawyer – UX, Visual Design & Strategy

Raphael Mendez – Email Development

Josh Ause – Web Development

Nick Colin – Content
Panchami Bhat – Email Development
Amie Wong – PM