Hiring an email designer without reviewing their portfolio is like buying a house without a viewing. The portfolio tells you everything: their design aesthetic, their understanding of conversion principles, their range across different brand styles, and their ability to create work that’s both beautiful and effective. Here’s what to look for in an eCommerce email designer portfolio — and what great work actually looks like.
What to Look For in an eCommerce Email Designer Portfolio
1. Brand Variety
A strong portfolio shows the designer can adapt to different brand voices and aesthetics. Look for work across multiple brand categories — beauty, fashion, health, food, home goods. If every email looks identical regardless of client, the designer may not be customizing their approach to each brand’s unique identity.
2. Email Type Variety
Great eCommerce email designers have examples of multiple email types: welcome series, abandoned cart, promotional campaigns, post-purchase flows, seasonal specials. Each email type requires a different design approach and strategy — a portfolio with only one type suggests a narrow skill set.
3. Mobile Rendering Examples
Ask to see mobile previews alongside desktop previews. Over 60% of eCommerce emails are opened on mobile, so a designer who only shows desktop designs is missing a critical dimension. The best portfolios include side-by-side desktop and mobile views showing how the design adapts.
4. Visual Hierarchy and CTA Clarity
In every email in the portfolio, ask: “Do I know exactly what I’m supposed to do next?” Great email design makes the CTA obvious without making the email feel like a hard sell. Look for clear button placement, white space around CTAs, and a logical flow from headline to body to action.
5. Results and Case Studies
The best portfolios include performance data: “This welcome series increased email revenue by 34%” or “This abandoned cart flow achieves a 12% recovery rate.” Not all designers can share client data, but those who can demonstrate measurable results are worth a premium.
Red Flags to Watch in an Email Designer Portfolio
- Template-only work — if every email is clearly built from a stock Klaviyo or Mailchimp template with minimal customization, the designer isn’t creating original work
- Inconsistent quality — a portfolio where some work looks polished and other work looks amateur suggests inconsistent execution
- No mobile examples — a dealbreaker; any serious email designer accounts for mobile in every project
- Cluttered layouts — too many elements competing for attention signals a designer who doesn’t understand visual hierarchy
- Generic stock photography — strong eCommerce email designers help source or direct on-brand imagery, not default to obvious stock photos
What Questions to Ask When Reviewing a Portfolio
- “What was the brief for this email and how did you approach it?”
- “Do you have performance data for any of these emails?”
- “How do you ensure your designs work across different email clients?”
- “Can you show me a before/after of a brand’s email performance after working with you?”
- “Which Klaviyo features do you use most in your designs?”
Frequently Asked Questions
How many portfolio examples should a Klaviyo email designer have?
Look for at least 10-15 distinct email designs across 3-5 different brands. This shows enough experience to have encountered and solved a variety of design challenges. More isn’t always better — 30 mediocre examples are less reassuring than 12 exceptional ones.
Should I hire an email designer based on portfolio alone?
Portfolio is the most important factor, but also assess communication (how they respond to your initial inquiry), process (how they gather briefs and manage revisions), and references or testimonials from previous clients. The best portfolio work can come from a difficult collaborator — both matter.
What’s the difference between an email designer and an email marketer?
An email designer focuses on the visual design, layout, and template build. An email marketer focuses on strategy, segmentation, copywriting, and analytics. For most brands, you want someone who understands both — or a specialist designer who works alongside your marketing team.
About the Author
Muhammad Huzaifa is an eCommerce email designer specializing in Klaviyo flows and campaigns. His portfolio spans beauty, fashion, health, and lifestyle brands — with designs built for both aesthetics and conversion. View his full portfolio →