Overview
During my time as a Junior Product Designer at Telhanorte Saint-Gobain, I worked on redesigning and optimizing the company's email marketing designs.
The goal was to create visually cohesive, responsive, and high-performing layouts that strengthened brand identity, improved user engagement, and streamlined the campaign production process between design and marketing teams.
Role
Junior Product Designer
Duration
December 2023 - November 2024
Team
Marketing & CRM
Tools
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop
Objectives
Improve Readability & Engagement
Improve readability and engagement through better layout hierarchy and CTAs.
Modular Design System
Create a modular email design system for faster campaign production.
Brand Consistency
Ensure brand consistency across all email communications.
Key Results
+22% Increase in Click-Through Rate (CTR)
I compared the average CTR before and after the new templates were implemented, using internal campaign performance data provided by the CRM team.
Insights
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Clearer CTAs and consistent button design encouraged clicks
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Simplified banner layouts improved content scanning
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Responsive design increased engagement from mobile users
30% Faster Campaign Production Time
Measured by comparing the average time from campaign briefing to final approval, before and after the introduction of the new Figma design system.
Reasons for improvement
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Reusable Figma components and ready-to-use templates
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Clear design documentation reduced back-and-forth
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Shared style guide streamlined feedback and approvals
Design Process
01
Research
Analyzed previous campaign performances and competitors' emails to identify gaps in hierarchy, responsiveness, and branding consistency.
02
Layout exploration
Created modular wireframes that could be adapted for multiple campaign types, such as promotions, product launches, and seasonal events.
03
Mini Style Guide
Developed a mini design system with brand colors, typography, and button styles to ensure consistency across campaigns and improve scalability.
Style Guide
Colors
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Primary:
#D80039, #BE0044, #A3004E, #54006E, #6E0064
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Neutrals:
#33303E, #7A7786, #D0C9D6, #E6E6E6, #F1F1F1
CTA Buttons
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Primary:
Yellow with grey text
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Primary (Hover):
Light yellow with grey text
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Secondary:
Transparent with yellow border
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Secondary (Hover):
Yellow with grey text
Final Designs
Final Design #1: Inspirational
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Final Design #2: Newsletter
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Email Breakdown
1. Header
Goal:
Increase product discovery and cross-category browsing.
Why it works:
The navigation links act like mini-CTAs that lead users to high-interest categories, boosting traffic to product pages and increasing chances of conversion beyond the promoted campaign.
2. Hero Banner
Goal:
Build immediate interest and frame the campaign theme.
Why it works:
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Creates emotional impact with color, motion, and graphic energy.
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Makes the promotion instantly recognizable.
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Reinforces trust by showing the partners logos.
3. Product Images
Goal:
Reduce friction and help users visualize value.
Why it works:
High-quality images increases product desirability, reduces doubt, and supports a faster buying decision.
4. Price Hierarchy
Goal:
Draw the eye to the key conversion driver: price.
Why it works:
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Large, bold numbers make the discount or price point unmissable.
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Secondary text helps clarify what’s being sold.
This visual hierarchy is optimized to make scanning effortless and conversion easier.
5. CTA Buttons
Goal:
Drive direct sales and increase click-throughs.
Why it works:
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High-contrast yellow button stands out.
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Short verb reinforces urgency.
The consistency across all CTAs improves CTR because users immediately know where to click.
6. Secondary Banner, Social Media, App
Goal:
Strengthen brand ecosystem and increase long-term engagement.
Why it works:
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Encourages users to join social channels: more touchpoints.
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Promotes the app: increases retention and repeat purchases.
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Advertises more offers: increases the chances of convertion.
7. Footer (Legal + Details + Store Info)
Goal:
Build trust and reduce doubt.
Why it works:
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Shows clear terms, dates, and policies.
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Adds credibility, especially for high-ticket items.
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Helps prevent customer service overload by answering common questions upfront.
Feedback
The marketing team highlighted that the new templates were "more flexible, visually clean, and much faster to update." The improved organization in Figma made collaboration smoother and reduced dependency on design resources for every campaign.
Project Takeaways
1. Design systems reduce effort and increase business velocity
Creating modular email templates and a small design system drastically cut production time. I learned that even small UX foundations (colors, buttons, spacing rules) can scale into big operational gains across teams.
2. Visual hierarchy has a measurable impact on performance
By optimizing image placement, CTA colors, and price hierarchy, I saw a 22% CTR increase. This showed me how design decisions directly influence engagement and revenue metrics.
3. Consistency builds trust, and trust converts
Reinforcing brand identity across all emails made campaigns feel more professional and reliable, especially in retail. Consistency wasn’t only aesthetic; it improved scanning, comprehension, and user confidence.
4. Collaboration is the bridge between good design and real results
Working with CRM and marketing teams taught me to gather feedback early, align on goals, and iterate quickly. Smooth communication was key to reducing review cycles and achieving the 30% faster production time.
5. Data should guide creative choices
Having access to performance reports helped me understand which elements mattered most to users. I learned to use data as validation for creative problem-solving.
6. Documentation is as important as design itself
Delivering templates with clear guidelines ensured that other designers and marketers could use them independently. Good documentation scales impact beyond the hours you personally work.
7. UX and marketing are stronger together
This project made me see email marketing not just as visual design, but as a UX journey: scanning, understanding, deciding, clicking. Applying UX principles within a marketing context created tangible business results.
