Want to design emails that look great, feel clean and actually convert? Visual hierarchy in email design is critical, as responsive, mobile-first email designs see click-through rate increases between 10-20%. However, you don’t need to be a UX designer to craft your brand’s best email designs . . .

In fact, most high-converting email templates follow one of a few proven layout patterns: 

• the Z-pattern

• the F-pattern

• or a good old-fashioned grid

Did you know? 70% of users delete poorly formatted emails in under three seconds. This instant psychological reaction to visual clutter or lack of relevance is your greatest enemy . . . and therefore great email design is one of your strongest allies. Knowing when (and how) to use effective email design templates will help subscribers scan and act quickly (aka visit your site or add an item to their cart). 

Continue reading to learn more about the best email marketing design concepts for DTC, lifecycle, retention and general retail marketing projects. You’ll also learn how these patterns and email design best practices are baked into Backstroke’s predictive email design templates.

The Z-Pattern Email Layout: Simple, Clean, Great for Scanning a Single Message

The Z-pattern email layout is your go-to for short, punchy emails with one clear message. The eye travels left to right across the top—logo, headline, nav—then diagonally down a hero image, and finishes left to right again at the CTA.

How to use the z-pattern email layout:

• Lead with impact: Put important info at the top left. That’s where the eye starts.

• Guide with visuals: Use bold headlines, images or bullets to keep attention moving along the Z path. Keep your copy tight and punchy.

• Stay balanced: Don’t overload one section. Instead, place balanced weight across each of your sections.

• Make the bottom-right CTA pop: That’s where the eye of the reader will eventually land.

This is one of the best email layouts for marketing promos, product drops or flash sales, as it's clean and quick to scan.

The F-Pattern Email Design: Skimmable and Complex Content-Friendly

The F-pattern email design works best when you have more to say in text-heavy emails like newsletters and informative updates. It makes emails highly scannable and easier to read, as the human eye naturally reads in this pattern.

Think of the F-pattern email design as your go-to for newsletters or educational content. Readers scan across the top headline, then down the left edge while glancing across horizontal lines of content.

Use the F-pattern email design when:

• You have multiple sections or stories in your email: This organization breaks up text and makes it feel easier to skim through.

• You're sharing longer-form content: Including blogs or articles in your email? Want to give each a punchy text summary, while still driving people to your site? This email template design is your best bet.

• You want users to skim and scroll: You don’t need to share your life story. You just want people to pick up a vibe.

• Stack important subheads and buttons on the left side of your email: This is where the eyes linger.

If you’re looking to structure marketing emails that educate, update or entertain, the F-pattern gives your audience a clear path to follow.

Grid Layout for Emails: Structure Without Clutter

If you're creating an email design for ecommerce sends or comparison-focused emails, grids are your friend. Two-column layouts make things feel structured and scannable. Use them to alternate product details and visuals. You can also stack features side-by-side.

You’ll want to use a grid layout for emails when:

• You’re showing multiple products or features: It allows you to show off multiple items at once in a clean, effective format.

• You need a clean format for specs, benefits or images.

• You want a flexible framework that works across campaigns: Talk about scaling! This format works pretty universally!

• One pro tip: Respect this email layout’s padding. Too little padding makes for emails that feel cheap and chaotic.

Grid layouts are ideal for lifecycle marketing emails, retention campaigns or DTC email marketing flows where showcasing product variety is key.

How to Choose the Best Email Designs for Your Goals

When evaluating your best email design options, ask yourself:

• Is this a one-message email or a multi-part story?

• Am I trying to drive fast clicks or encourage exploration?

• Is this email visual-first or copy-first?

Then match your answers to an email layout:

• Z-pattern: Fast, single-goal campaigns

• F-pattern: Scrollable, content-rich emails

• Grid: Ecommerce, product-packed or comparison-heavy messages

Quick Tips for Email Layout Success

• Keep things breathable with plenty of white space.

• Highlight one CTA per section.

• Font choices matter. Go legible or go home.

• Always design for mobile, as 80% of emails are opened on phones. Responsive email layout tips are not optional.

• Embrace visual hierarchy. Be zen and go with the email flow. Let the layout guide the click.

Need help? Backstroke’s email layout templates are built to match each of these use cases. And our predictive design engine even recommends the right email layout based on your audience and goal.

Let Your Email Design Templates Do the Work

Email content design isn’t about cramming in copy and hoping for clicks. It’s about choosing a layout that helps your message do its job. With Z-pattern email layouts, F-pattern email designs and modular grid layouts, you’ve got the foundations for emails that drive engagement.

AI and predictive content can drive revenue as well. Backstroke’s Predictive Templates tap into the power of AI, segmentation and personalization to drive 31% more revenue per send, using behavior-based recommendations and optimized layout patterns that match user intent.

With 75+ pre-optimized layouts ready to go, you can design high-converting email templates without reinventing the grid every time. So those email layout best practices? Consider them built in and amped up. And your email design challenges? Consider them solved.

Want to design personalized and effective emails, without a UX degree or expertise in data science? Demo Backstroke to see what it’ll do for your brand.