Consistency and creativity in email design| Email teardown with Jasmin Plouffe
I eat the same lunch every day.
I’ve got a breakfast and dinner I could happily eat on repeat too. But in the name of variety (and, you know, nutrients), I’m much more flexible on this.
But lunch? Lunch is my anchor. It keeps me on track with my goals (I’m in maintenance now after losing over 30 pounds a couple of years back) and having one less decision to make midday is a quiet kind of magic.
Same goes for email design.
Having a template you can return to again and again is so helpful. But switching up the middle, playing with a new layout, trying different ways to present your content? That’s where the fun - and the growth - lives. The trick is keeping things fresh without veering into “wait, who even are we?”
Structure is your friend. Personality is your superpower.
In the teardown above, Brand Designer Jasmin Plouffe and I dove deep into how using templates or consistent layouts doesn’t make your emails boring - they give you a foundation to build on.
The same way my go-to lunch frees me up to focus on everything else, a strong email framework gives you space to play with content, explore fresh layouts, and let your personality shine…
Your personality is your edge
Jasmin specialises in helping entrepreneurs attract their ideal clients by embracing their personality, not hiding it.
Because as she so eloquently puts it:
“Sometimes our personality gets hidden because we feel like we have to show up some certain way.”
That’s especially true in ecommerce. Brands often worry that being too casual or quirky might make them seem less legit.
So what happens?
They default to bland product descriptions, overly polished layouts, and tone that tries to appeal to everyone, and ends up resonating with no one.
But personality isn't unprofessional. It’s how the right customers know your brand is for them.
And email is the perfect place to show it off.
Want to bring more “you” into your emails? Start here:
If you're not sure how to infuse more personality, here are 4 easy ways to start:
1. Add micro-moments of flair
Jasmin shared how a pop of colour or a hand-drawn icon can add visual personality. Same goes for your words.
These small, intentional choices make a big impact:
Swap “Add to cart” for “Treat yourself” or “Make it mine.”
Add in the phrases you actually say (like “I love that!” or “Ditto!”).
Sprinkle in an emoji when it fits.
Play with punctuation if it feels true to your brand voice.
2. Keep it breathable
Both your copy and your design need room to breathe.
If everything’s packed into dense paragraphs or rigid layouts, your personality gets squashed.
Use white space. Break things up. Let people breathe as they read.
3. Match your tone with your design
Your design should amplify your personality, not tone it down.
If your brand is playful, try rounded buttons, gifs, or hand-drawn illustrations.
If it’s elegant and refined, lean into neutral tones, serif fonts, and classic layouts.
Whatever your vibe is, your design should reflect and reinforce it.
4. Show, don’t tell
Buzzwords like “quality,” “made with love,” and “fast shipping” don’t build trust. Specifics do.
Here’s how to say the same things with way more meaning:
Instead of “We care about quality,” try:
“Every product goes through 3 rounds of quality checks, because ‘good enough’ isn’t.”Instead of “Made with love,” try:
“We hand-wrap every order and tuck in a note (written by an actual human, promise).”Instead of “Fast shipping,” try:
“Order by 2pm and it’ll be out the door same day - Scout’s honour.”
Little details do more than any buzzword ever could.
Grab Jasmin’s free resources to boost your brand and design confidence:
Want your own (private!) email review? I can SHOW you what works, what doesn’t, and how you can make sure YOUR emails convert. I teardown your emails, so that you can build them up bigger and better - CLICK HERE!
