How to Become an Email Designer in the UK
Email designers create the marketing and lifecycle emails that brands send, from newsletters and product launches to welcome and abandoned basket emails. You design layouts in Figma, build them in HTML that works in Outlook, Gmail and Apple Mail, create reusable templates and modules in platforms such as Klaviyo or HubSpot, and test how emails look on mobile, in dark mode and with images turned off.
No degree is required. Most email designers come from graphic, web or digital design, or from email marketing, and get hired on a portfolio of real emails.
Quick facts
- Starting salary
- £26,000 - £36,000
- Mid-career salary
- £40,000 - £58,000
- Senior salary
- £65,000 - £95,000
- Work environment
- Office, studio or remote
- Time to entry
- 1 - 3 years
- Degree required
- Not required - portfolio matters most
- Category
- Marketing and Media
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What a Email Designer does
Design and code branded marketing and lifecycle emails that render well in every inbox.
How to become an email designer in the UK
There is no formal qualification. Many people study graphic or digital design at college or university, while others teach themselves and move across from web design, marketing or ecommerce roles. The key skills are layout and typography for small screens, writing HTML email with tables and inline CSS, accessibility, and building modular templates in email platforms. Frameworks such as MJML and testing tools such as Litmus or Email on Acid are widely used. Platform training from Klaviyo, HubSpot or Mailchimp helps, but your portfolio and coded examples matter most.
- Learn Figma well enough to design email layouts with a clear grid, readable type at mobile sizes and buttons that are easy to tap.
- Learn to hand-code HTML email using tables and inline CSS, then try a framework such as MJML, and test your builds in Outlook, Gmail and Apple Mail.
- Study email accessibility: semantic structure, alt text, colour contrast, live text instead of text in images, and how dark mode changes your design.
- Get hands-on with an email platform such as Klaviyo, HubSpot or Mailchimp, and build a modular template that marketers can edit without breaking it.
- Create a portfolio of five or more emails, such as a welcome series, product launch and newsletter, showing the Figma design and the coded, tested result.
- Apply for email designer, email developer or CRM designer roles at agencies, ecommerce brands and software companies, or take freelance template projects.
| Route | How long | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic or digital design course, then email focus | 1-3 years | Tuition fee loan or college fees | School-leavers interested in design |
| Web or graphic designer moving into email | 6-12 months | Mostly self-study | Designers who can already code a little |
| Email marketer learning design and code | 1-2 years | Short courses vary by provider | Marketers already sending campaigns |
How long it takes
With design experience, you can build a portfolio and move into email design within 1 to 3 years, sometimes faster. If you are new to design, allow longer to learn layout, typography and HTML email.
Email Designer salary in the UK
Email designers usually start on around £26,000 to £36,000. Mid-level designers earn £40,000 to £58,000, and senior email designers, design leads or CRM creative leads can earn £65,000 to £95,000. Pay is highest at ecommerce brands, software companies and agencies in London. Being able to both design and code emails, and to build systems in Klaviyo or HubSpot, makes you more valuable than designers who only do one, and freelance template work can add to your income.
Key skills
- Figma
- HTML email
- Klaviyo / HubSpot
- Brand systems
- Copy sense
Email Designer FAQs
How do I become an email designer?
Learn Figma and HTML email coding, study accessibility and dark mode, and get experience with an email platform such as Klaviyo or HubSpot. Build a portfolio of designed and coded emails, then apply for email or CRM design roles or freelance projects.
Do you need a degree to be an email designer?
No. Employers mainly look at your portfolio and whether you can produce emails that work across inboxes. A graphic or digital design course helps with the design basics, but many email designers are self-taught.
How much does an email designer earn?
Starting pay is around £26,000 to £36,000. Mid-level email designers earn £40,000 to £58,000, and senior designers or leads can earn £65,000 to £95,000. Coding skills and platform expertise raise pay.
Do email designers need to know how to code?
It helps a lot. Some roles only need design in Figma and drag-and-drop editors, but many ask for HTML email skills because emails render differently in each inbox. Designers who can code and test their own work are usually paid more.
Is Email Designer right for you?
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