Designing with the WordFly Design System

Article author
Kelly Sutter

The WordFly Design System contains common building blocks that fit perfectly with our redesigned starter emails to quickly create beautiful designs. Choose from 80 arts-focused components inspired by customer designs in the Museum of Modern Email.

 

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Keep reading to learn the basic process for building a new email. Then dive into the types of components you can add to your design and how you can customize them for your organization.

 

Get Started

 

Choose a starter design

Choose one of our five email designs to start from or start with a blank email. Click Preview to view a larger version. Not sure which one to choose?


Take a closer look →


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Add components

On the Blocks tab, click the Design System button. Use the dropdown to switch between the different types of components. Drop them into your design.

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Add your branding

It’s time to add the fonts, colors, and button style to match your brand. Adjusting the General Styles is the fastest way to customize the look, but you may need to set additional styles in other areas.

Go to Stylesheet tab > General Styles 

  • General Styles > Base: Add your font and font color
  • General Styles > Link: Choose your link color and style
  • General Styles > Button: Customize the default look for buttons
  • Set other styles as needed, e.g., Caption and Fine Print styles

Stylesheet tab with General Styles

Add spacers and customize components as needed

Need to delete an element or move a few things around? Right-click on a component to Group/Ungroup, then adjust or delete blocks inside the component. Styles can be adjusted. See below for design ideas and tips.


Rigt-click on a component to Ungroup it

 

Save your design

If you want to use this design as a template for future emails, follow these steps.

  • In the main menu, go to Email > Emails
  • Click on the name of your design, and select Save as a starter email from the menu
  • Give your design a name and click Save
  • Your design can now be selected from the Custom tab when you create a new email

emails-grid-save-as-starter.png

 

01 // Banners

Banner designs can range from a simple logo at the top to two-column designs containing social icons or links to key areas of your website. If you don’t see the exact design you’re looking for, drag over multiple options then mix and match. If the colors or image sizes don’t quite work for your logo, here are a few common style adjustments you can make. 

  • Adjust the logo size by setting the Max Width
    Right-click to ungroup Component > Image block > Styles tab > Block Container > Widths > Max Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `100px`. 

    To center the image, enter `auto` in the left and right Margin fields in the Spacing section.

  • Add a background color to the Container
    Container block > Styles tab > Block Container > Background Color

  • Adjust padding
    Container block > Styles tab > Block Container > Spacing

 

02 // Buttons and CTAs

Entice subscribers to click with predesigned content blocks or drag over that button style you’ve always wanted to try.

  • Change background color
    Container block > Styles tab > Block Container > Background Color

  • Change button color
    Button block > Styles tab > Background & Border > Background Color

  • Change heading bar color
    Heading Bar block > Styles tab > Block Container > Background Color

 

03 // Footers

All starter emails include a Footer block, but these components provide a few more design options.

  • Adjust logo sizes by setting the Max Width
    Right-click to ungroup Component > Image block > Styles tab > Block Container > Widths > Max Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `100px`. To center the image, enter `auto` in the left and right Margin fields in the Spacing section.

  • Add background colors to the Container
    Container block > Styles tab > Block Container > Background Color

 

04 // Images

Choose from an option for a centered image and multiple options for sponsor logos.

  • Adjust image sizes by setting the Max Width
    Right-click to ungroup Component > Image block > Styles tab > Block Container > Widths > Max Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `100px`.
    To left-align the image, remove `auto` from the left Margin field in the Spacing section.
    To right-align the image, remove `auto` from the right Margin field in the Spacing section.
  • Add more columns to 4+ Columns block
    Right-click to ungroup Component > Four+ Columns block > Content tab > Move slider to show up to 8 columns

  • Add background colors or padding to a Component
    Component > Styles tab > Block Container

 

05 // Navigation

Drive subscribers to key areas of your website.

  • Change background colors

  • Change heading bar color
    Heading Bar > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

  • Change divider color
    Divider > Styles > Horizontal Rule > Border Color

  • Change divider thickness
    Divider > Styles > Horizontal Rule > Border Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `5px 0px`.

  • Change divider width
    Divider > Styles > Widths > Max Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `100px`. To center this narrow divider, enter `auto` in the left and right Margin fields in the Spacing section.

 

06 // Preheaders

All starter emails include a Preheader block, but you might like these instead.

  • Edit background colors
    Preheader > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

  • Adjust padding
    Preheader > Styles > Block Container > Spacing > Padding

 

07 // Quotes

Show off your latest reviews or highlight a quote with these options.

  • Add background color to the Container
    Container > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

 

08 // Social Icons

All starter emails include a Social Icons block, but these components might save you some styling time, if you are looking for a certain look. See article

  • Add your social links
    Social Links > Content > Double-click icon

  • Add new icons
    Social Links > Content > Click Share icon

  • Change background color
    Social Links > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

 

09 // Stories

A wide variety of options for your content.

  • Adjust column percentages
    Two Columns > Select option

  • Add background color to the Container
    Container > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

  • Change divider width
    Divider > Styles > Widths > Max Width
    Enter a pixel value, e.g., `100px`. To center this narrower divider in the email, enter `auto` in the left and right Margin fields above.

 

 

10 // Videos

Drag over a feature story that can include a hosted or embedded video.

  • Adjust container size
    Video > Styles > Block Container > Widths > Max Width

  • Add background color to the Container
    Container > Styles > Block Container > Background Color

 

FAQ

What image size should I use in my design?

We use the following sizes in our starter emails and design kit components, but the image areas will accept and adapt to images of any size. Learn more

TYPE DIMENSIONS (px)
Rectangular logo 600x360
Horizontal logo 600x100
Rectangular image in column block 600x360
Square image in column block 600x600
Feature image 1200x600
Banner image 1200x300
Letter signature 300x160