7 Design Tips to Make Your Internal Comms More Engaging

What is email design?

Email design refers to the visual appearance, structure, and usability of an email. Good email design makes it easy for employees to quickly read and understand a message and know what action (if any) they need to take. The design of an email includes the layout, headings, colors, fonts, photos, illustrations, and interactive elements like buttons and links.

What is email design in internal comms?

Unlike marketing emails, the goal of internal comms design isn’t to sell something; it’s to make work-related information clear, accessible, and engaging—keeping employees informed and connected.

What is responsive email design?

Responsive emails automatically adjust their layout to display optimally on any device or screen size. Responsiveness also means that the elements of the email function correctly, regardless of whether a recipient opens the message on a desktop, tablet, or phone. Since most employees check email on mobile — often first thing in the morning — if an email isn’t responsive, they may miss important details.

Why is email design important?

For internal communications emails, design matters because a well-designed employee email helps workers quickly scan headlines, understand key messages, and retain important information. Conversely, a poorly designed email can leave employees confused, frustrated, or misinformed. Good design also ensures that every employee, regardless of device or ability, can read and act on a message. As employee expectations and workplace communication habits continue to evolve, communicators must adapt their email design strategies to keep pace.

Internal email design trends and best practices for 2027

As organizations prepare for 2027, internal email design continues to evolve alongside changing employee expectations. Today’s workforce consumes information across devices, works from multiple locations, and faces a constant stream of digital communications. As a result, effective internal emails must do more than look professional. They must be easy to scan, accessible on any device, and relevant to the audience receiving them.

Several trends are shaping how organizations approach employee communications. Mobile-friendly email design remains essential as more employees read messages on smartphones and tablets. Communicators are also focusing on cleaner layouts, improved accessibility, and greater personalization to help employees quickly find the information most relevant to them. This shift reflects a growing focus on creating communications that are easy for every employee to read, navigate, and engage with, regardless of device, role, or ability.

At the same time, organizations are increasingly using employee engagement and email analytics data to understand what content resonates with their workforce. Rather than relying on assumptions, communicators can use readership and engagement insights to continuously improve the effectiveness of their messages.

While the fundamentals of effective communication haven’t changed, the way employees consume information continues to evolve. The following email design best practices can help internal communicators create more engaging employee experiences while meeting the expectations of today’s increasingly mobile, digital workforce.

Email design tips for engaging employees

If you want to make your internal comms more engaging, consider how to leverage design beyond a compelling headline. Here are seven cool email design ideas to get you started.

1. Prioritize scannability.

You want to design your emails so employees can grasp the key points in seconds. For the highest readership, PoliteMail finds that the optimal message length is typically under one minute—roughly 250 words or less. But how you design those words matters.

The most scannable emails leverage short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear section breaks.

• Short paragraphs prevent visual overload and make key points more straightforward.
• Bullet points break information into quick, bite-sized lists that are easy to skim.
• Clear section breaks separate different topics, helping readers quickly jump from one section to another.

2. Use headings.

The hierarchical structure of headings can help readers scan an email, identify the most important content, and easily navigate to the relevant sections.

• Use font size and weight strategically. You want your headers to be larger and bolder than your body text without being overwhelming.
• Be clear, not clever. Employees should immediately know what a section is about. “Submit your open enrollment form” is more effective than a vague headline like “Choose what’s best for you.”

3. Use negative space strategically.

Negative (or white) space makes it easier for people to consume text-based messages. When text or objects are packed too closely together in a message, people will struggle to read it. In a study comparing the use of margins (the empty space on the edges of a page or document), “Users favored the ‘Margin Condition,’ reporting lower levels of physical fatigue during reading and greater satisfaction with the layout.”
While there isn’t a magic number for how much negative space to include in an email, you want to strike a balance between text, images, and negative space. Include padding around content blocks, spacing between sections, line spacing (1.4–1.6 line height can improve readability), and space between paragraphs.

4. Minimize cognitive load with your design.

Cognitive load is the mental effort the brain uses to process information. Employees process a lot of information every day. PoliteMail research indicates that simpler language fosters better engagement. Similarly, a simpler design can also help reduce cognitive load.

When informative content includes unnecessary or “seductive details”—a term used to describe the interesting but irrelevant information often found in textbooks, lectures, slideshows, and other forms of educational content—those extras can distract the reader and hinder learning outcomes.

Here are some ways to minimize the cognitive load by simplifying your design:

• Include one purposeful image rather than several images.
• Turn a paragraph of numbers into a simple bar chart or infographic.
• Use a single brand color for your calls-to-action rather than multiple colors.

5. Use consistent formats.

Cognitive fluency is the idea that our brains prefer to think about things that are easy to comprehend. Research shows that users prefer visiting websites where they instinctively know where everything is. Similarly, employees appreciate consistency in email messaging and design, even if it is subconscious.

For something like a monthly newsletter, it’s helpful to include the same sections, in the same location, in every issue. This consistency makes it easy for employees to scroll to their favorite sections, like the employee spotlight or last quarter’s sales wins.

6. Balance text with visuals.

PoliteMail finds that emails scoring in the top 20% of attention rate have a content balance that leans more toward words than images. Don’t overload employees with dense text or over-the-top imagery.

When possible, use employee images rather than stock images. Yes, you will benefit from professional photography, lighting, and retouching for specific events, but for day-to-day use, ask your employees to submit their favorite photos for real-world, employee-in-action images.

7. Ensure your design is responsive.

While most emails are likely mobile-friendly, double-check that your images and links display well on all devices.

• Imagine someone reading your email on a large monitor, and another person reading it on a phone. If the email content feels crowded on a phone, the design is too busy.
• Use one column. On small screens, content naturally stacks, so make that your default rather than using multiple columns.
• Make buttons big enough to tap. Pretend you’re trying to click your CTA with your thumb while you’re sitting on a moving bus. If it’s hard to tap without zooming in, make it bigger and add more space around it.