Don't design emails in Klaviyo. Why not?

You might be looking for the best process to produce email campaigns. A logical question might sound like, “Should my team start the design directly in Klaviyo?” The simple answer is NO. Let me explain why.

Design is iteration

It took me a while to figure out that design is not a straightforward process. Many factors constantly change the direction: internal feedback, client feedback, changes in the length of the body copy, product images—you name it. Before things are approved, it’s better to progress with tools that allow you to maneuver with agility.

Clay is softer than marble

Imagine if your task was to build a statue for a city. At the end of the day, the city council might not like your new creation and ask you to change everything. In this case, it’s better to pick materials that will make the exploration process quicker and more fluid. For example, with clay, you can easily tear down the design and try again. That’s the whole point of using proper tools at the beginning of your early iterations.

Try ideas with clay

Even though Klaviyo is super convenient to use, it limits you a lot in terms of speed and ability to explore. Once you’ve spent 10 minutes nailing the layout, it prevents you from trying other layout ideas. Personally, I use tools like Figma or Sketch. They allow you to make quick changes. This way, you can try multiple things, get the design signed off by your team and clients, and only then build everything in Klaviyo.

Today, I only intended to explain why designing in Klaviyo right away is a suboptimal process that will waste your time. Stay tuned for the next article, where I outline a better production process.