How We Test Email Marketing Graphic Designers (And How You Can Too)

Guest post by In-box, an email marketing agency helping ecommerce brands grow through better systems, automation, and design.

A great graphic designer can be the difference between a campaign that gets ignored and one that actually drives revenue. If you're still deciding whether to design your own emails or work with a partner, we’ve also put together a list of top email marketing agencies that might help.

At In-box, we’ve tested dozens of designers over the years to build a go-to team we can trust for fast, on-brand, high-performing email templates.

Here’s the exact process we use to test email graphic designers — and how you can tailor it to fit your brand.

Step 1: Pick a Brand for the Test

Start by choosing a brand (real or mock) that feels similar to the kind of clients you usually work with. We often use a sample brand like ByNeutri, but you can use a real client (with permission) or throw together a quick mock-up.

The goal is to make the design task feel realistic — whether that means recreating a DTC beauty brand’s vibe or laying out products for a rugged outdoor gear company. Make sure the designer has something solid to work from, like a website or a brand guide. No style guide? No problem. Just ask them to follow the site’s visual style and tone as closely as they can. Keep an eye on things like fonts, image styling, spacing, and layout — including how they handle whitespace and content hierarchy — because these small details can make a big impact in email.

Step 2: Give a Clear Brief (Without Overloading Them)

Next, share a Figma file with 3 email designs you like. (We have a growing swipe file of 100+ templates, but starting with 3 is more than enough.)

Pick 3 emails that feel close to what you want — layout, structure, general vibe — and ask the designer to model their test after them. Be clear that the goal isn’t to copy them, but use them as inspiration. Also be clear about what to follow (e.g. hero image, product grid, CTA placement), and invite some creativity too. You want to see if they can follow direction and bring a little of their own thinking to the table.

If you’re testing more than one designer, give them all the same brief. That way you’re comparing apples to apples.

What to include in the brief:

• Brand name + website
• 3 reference email designs (from your swipe file or Figma)
• A simple ask: “Please create 3 variations modeled on these templates, styled for [brand name].”
• Optional: “Feel free to get creative — we’re also looking for originality and design intuition.”

H2: Step 3: Find Designers to Test

We usually start with Upwork to source designers. It’s quick, you can check out portfolios and ratings, and it’s easy to get a test project rolling.

What we look for:

• Hourly rates around $10–$20 for test work (sometimes more for senior roles)
• Real email design experience — not just landing pages or social posts
• Strong reviews and a solid success score

Once you find someone promising, send a short message like:

“Hey [Name], are you open to new projects? I’ve got a quick, paid design test if you’re interested.”

If they say yes, send the brief, agree on a flat test rate (usually 2–3 hours of work), and assign the task through whatever project tool you use — we usually go with Notion or Asana.

If you’re in a rush, one designer might be enough. But if you can, test 2–3. You’ll get a better sense of style range, communication, and speed before committing long term — and you’ll have a backup if one ghosts halfway through.

Step 4: Evaluate the Results Objectively

When the designs come in, compare them to your references. Look for:

• Structure and brand alignment — did they follow the brief?
• Clean, well-balanced layouts
• Mobile-friendly CTAs and buttons
• Polished images (cropping, shadows, background cleanup)
• Strong content hierarchy and spacing

Also check how they delivered the files. Did they label layers clearly in Figma or Photoshop? Are groups organised logically? Designers who do this well usually make your life easier long-term. The little touches can separate a good email from a great one.

And it’s not just about the visual outcome. Did they take feedback well? Communicate clearly? Work efficiently and provide updates? If they delivered layered source files (like Figma or PSD) with clean naming and logical grouping, that’s another green flag. Great designers don’t just copy — they elevate. They understand tone, spacing, and clarity — and they know how to bring it all together.

We also look beyond technical skill — we look for design judgment and give bonus points for creativity . Can they make smart layout decisions even when the brief is vague? Do they understand when to simplify versus when to add detail? Those instincts matter more than pixel perfection, especially in a fast-paced environment where not every project comes with a perfect spec sheet.

Step 5: Keep the Good Ones (and Let Go of the Rest)

If someone passes the test, we usually start small — we invite the designer into our broader team and gradually assign more work. Ideally, we shift off Upwork (to avoid extra fees and streamline communication), and begin building their familiarity with our clients. This gradual onboarding means we might start with a weekly task, then expand once trust is built and systems are flowing smoothly.

If the work doesn’t meet our standards, we provide polite feedback and move on. No need to overthink or force a fit. Be kind, give quick feedback, and move on. It’s a test for a reason — not every designer will be the right fit for your pace or visual style.

Try to detach from personal preferences and judge the work based on what will actually perform. Does the design communicate clearly? Would it convert in a real campaign? That’s the real test. There’s a difference between “I like this” and “This will convert.”

What If None of the Designs Are Quite Right?

Sometimes, even with clear briefs and decent portfolios, test results fall flat. That’s normal — especially with email, which has its own quirks and limitations.

If that happens, don’t scrap the whole process. Instead:

• Double-check your brief — was it vague or complex?
• Look at your references — were they clear and consistent?
• Check your expectations — were they realistic for a first-time test?

Then test again with 1 or 2 fresh designers. All it takes is one standout designer to shift everything. Hiring is both a process and a skill — it takes practice, and it’s part of succeeding in email marketing. (Once you find a go-to designer, you'll wish you'd started sooner.)

Tools We Use:

Here’s what keeps everything moving smoothly:

• Figma: for feedback and design reviews
• Notion: to assign tasks and track submissions
• Upwork: to find freelance talent

If you’re thinking about building a full email system or outsourcing more of your creative, you might find our round-up of top email marketing agencies helpful to get good benchmarks.

What Makes a Strong Email Design

Not every designer who passes the test will become your go-to designer — and that’s okay. But over time, we’ve noticed a few traits that consistently appear in great designers who really get email:

• They design mobile-first. Since most emails get opened on phones, the best designers understand that designs should be responsive by default — with clear CTAs, readable font sizes, and layouts that scale.
• They know how to work within constraints. Email has quirks — from image compression to live text and narrow widths — and strong designers adapt to those limits without compromising the design.
• They think about hierarchy and scannability. A good email should guide the eye, making the next step obvious, from the headline all the way down to the CTA. Designers who avoid confusion or clutter, who understand spacing, rhythm, and alignment, usually create better-performing emails.
• They collaborate well. This means labeling layers, receiving feedback without ego, offering small UX suggestions, etc. Great designers contribute to a smoother production process.

You don’t need someone perfect on day one — but spotting 2 or 3 of these strengths in a test project is a great sign.

Why This Process Works

Having a system like this eliminates the guesswork of hiring. You’re not just looking at someone’s best portfolio work — you’re seeing how they perform under real-world conditions with your brief, your tools, and your expectations.

It helps you:

• Test real design thinking, not just screenshots
• Avoid wasted time with bad hires
• Compare candidates fairly, side-by-side
• Build a repeatable system for future hires
• And — most importantly — keep design moving smoothly instead of slowing down your campaigns

Because when your strategy and visuals work together, things start clicking. Results improve. Emails convert. And your team runs smoother.

You’ll be confident that your emails will be on-brand and high-performing — meaning you’ll move faster and worry less. You’ll know exactly who to call when something’s urgent — and your email design will finally feel like it’s working for you, not holding you back. (Need help setting up that full email system? See what we do at In-box.)

 

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Guest Author: This post was written by the team at In-box — an email marketing agency helping ecommerce brands grow through full-service campaigns, automation, and systems that scale. Learn more at in-box.co.nz.