They say newsletters are making a comeback. And I’m all for it, cause I love me a good challenge. If you’ve ever coded a newsletter, you know that they are just that. For Boerenbond I’ve created three different newsletters.
First up is a template for their tailored newsletter, a semiweekly direct emailing that’s sent to all their members. Phew, this one was a challenge. In the first place, cause the deadline was tight, which meant I had to focus on improving what was already in place. Think web safe fonts, buttons that actually work, consistency in font-size and line-height and of course, consistent looks between the different mail clients. On top of that, most of the content in this newsletter is dynamic, based on members’ sectors and region. And it’s one thing to code for multiple mail clients, but a dynamic layer makes this even more complex, as your mail is even more prone to breaking.
The second newsletter was a one-off: a mailing to announce Boerenbond’s annual report. As there was no need for a template, I had more freedom design-wise. So I decided this was the right moment to implement the new branding: more colours, rounded buttons, better spacing in between elements, … Of course, limitations like web-safe fonts and Outlook Word’s engine (which is a killer for nice designs) are a constant. I always code for compatibility across mail clients, which does mean making some design concessions.
And then we have the last one: the policy newsletter that will go out to Belgian policymakers. This one again was a template, as my non-coding colleagues will be working on this newsletter. But with no time constraints or existing structure, I did completely implement the new branding in this one. Well, within the constraints of the different mail clients, of course.
Still on my planning: a complete redesign of the tailored newsletter to fit the new branding as well.
