Philosophy of Template Making
Templates, be they for emails, resumes, or surveys, are a bit of a paradox. The definition of an email template is “an electronic file with a predesigned, customized format and structure, as for a fax, letter, or expense report, ready to be filled in.” The paradox lies in the goal of templates, which is to provide a standard single format and structure which will be suitable in all of the different instances that it will be used and applied, no matter how different these situations may be from one another.
Hence, an effective template must be designed with enough specification to fulfill its particular purpose adequately, yet general enough so that it can apply to users with different ways of achieving that purpose in mind. A template for a resume, for example, must serve as an exoskeleton for the standard in resume formatting, yet be flexible enough for all the different professionals to satisfy their individual needs.
Email templates likewise must follow this philosophy.
Easily adjustable.
Change is the only constant. You may be using the same email address maintain consistent contacts, yet you may develop new types of contacts and connections as you evolve and progress through life. Throughout this evolution, expect to adjust your email template as your needs shift.
The world as a whole is likewise changing, trickling all the way down to best email practices, is likewise constantly changing. What might seem like a slick email template one day might seem outdated the next.
When designing an email template, make sure that it is not too complex and easy to adjust, because you will need to adjust it, many many times.
What are responsive templates, and why they are important?
Gone are the days of everyone checking their email on the same kind of computer. Nowadays, people reading your email may be doing so on (many kinds of) tablets, (many kinds of) laptops), (many kinds of) smartphones, and perhaps even on TVs and game systems.
Responsive email templates are those that algorithmically respond to the platform that they are being viewed and used in, which is increasingly immportant into day’s mobile-friendly design world.
Though there are many such templates available for free online, only you know what you require in your email template, which is why it is prudent to design your email template.
How to make them?
The primary language for designing responsive template is HTML. There any many functions which one can use when designing a responsive email template, but the most effective is the max-width function. Why? Because you can set how the dimensions of your template appear relative to each other when viewed in any browser, This means that they will be adjusted from viewing device to another.