Project
Design an email template for Anyway Magazine where they can share updates, news articles, affiliate links, and additional content.
Anyway Magazine
Email Templates
Anyway is a gender-inclusive magazine for tweens. Each issue is filled with stories and activities related to health, well-being, and culture for kids age 9-15.
Table of Contents
I. Discover.
Intake & Client Brief
Research
II. Define.
User Goals
Business Goals
Technical Constraints
III. Design.
Design templates for CMS
About the Client
Anyway Magazine launched its first issue in 2022. It was created by two lifelong best friends who felt a lack of resources with helpful, inclusive, and fun information for their tween children. They needed two email marketing templates to engage with their audience: one short form for quick updates and one long form for affiliate links, stories, and more.
I. Discover:
What was I aiming to understand?
I wanted to know what types of content they would be sharing in their emails to design adaptable templates that serve the business's needs, while providing delight for their users.
Client Intake Findings
Q: What purpose will this serve?
A: It’s primarly a place to present product recommendations with affiliate links and an organic way to incorporate Anyway Magazine content/voice. It will also provide updates on new issue releases, links from around the web, and guest articles.
Q: What are your goals for this feature?
A: Keep the audience engaged and drive traffic to the website. It should generate affiliate link income, maintain branding guidelines and be adaptable to shifting content needs.
Q: Who is your intended user for the feature?
A: Adults and guardians with questions or concerns about their preteens/teens. They will subscribe to the emails for product recommendations and to answer questions regarding their preteens and teens. It should also translate affiliate content to suit a teen audience.
Competitor Research Findings
For Anyway Magazine’s Blog competitors, I studied content sites that primarily host product recommendations and affiliate links. Wirecutter and the Strategist being the two most popular amongst demographic already subscribed to Anyway Magazine. I also looked at a website targeting parents and gaurdians, as users looking specifically for parenting related content are likely to turn to a source with more of a “mommy blog” authority.
While each site approaches this differently, all of them had very clear categorization and filtering systems for users to browse. Each also used their hero section to promote their latest or featured post using a larger card than elsewhere on the site. To keep users scrolling and clicking, the sites include recommended posts in the margins, at the end of posts, and in collection blocks.
Anyway isn’t starting with a large amount of content, so one of our biggest challenges is to think of systems for tagging/categorizing posts in a way that allows the blog to grow but doesn’t feel overbearing to the user while content is sparse.
II. Define:
How should we solve the problem?
Anyway Magazine needs two options when it comes to email templates: one for quick updates and another to host additional content, including non-editorial stories and affiliate links.
Product Roadmap:
What features do users need to ensure the product functions? What can I add to make the product more enjoyable? The priority features were validated by stakeholder research, market research, and user research findings. The technical constraints were building on Klayvio and the desire to make this as low/no-code as possible for ease of use.
Priority features:
Hero: Home, Services, Quiz, About, Contact Button.
Section Header: Sub-headline for email subject line to introduce the content in the email.
Non-editorial stories: copywriting specifically for the email, be it updates, guest contributor stories, links from around the web etc.
Purchase CTA: direct users to purchase past issues, provide discount promo codes
Sign-off: to add a personal touch that is consistent with the brand’s voice and style.
Socials: linking users to other places they can connect with Anyway Mag.
Footer: Nav links, incorporated address, unsubscribe link
Klayvio constraints:
Templates: preset templates with little flexibility. Should be easy for stakeholders to make changes without having to hire out again.
Limited customer support: users report issues getting help with questions or set-backs. Designing/building in moveable blocks is crucial for ease-of-use.
Updates: with each update, features can be introduced or removed. Reliance on specialized editing tool options should limited-to-none.
III. Design:
What should it look like and how should users interact with it?
Klayvio template and pattern research, sketches, and high-fidelity mocks helped me determine how templates will look. Brand elements were provided by the client, so the designs should adhere to those guidelines.
Template 1
Used for quick updates, sharing links, and promotions.
Template 2
Used for longer-form email updates. Can include affiliate links, articles from around the web, any updates, product reviews, guest contributor stories.
