B&H Photo Email Redesign

I led a project to redesign B&H Photo’s transactional emails to align with the company’s updated website branding and improve mobile usability.

The primary goal was to modernize the look and feel of over 200 email templates to create a cohesive, responsive, and visually engaging user experience.

While B&H had recently refreshed its website, many of the outgoing emails still reflected an older branding style and were not optimized for mobile viewing.

See Visuals

My Role

As the lead designer, I was responsible for:

Auditing and redesigning email templates
Creating a scalable design system for emails
Collaborating with a small, cross-functional team including a backend developer, frontend developer, and UX researcher

Challenge & Opportunity

While B&H had recently refreshed its website, many of the outgoing emails still reflected an older branding style and were not optimized for mobile viewing.

This project presented an opportunity to:

Create a visual and experiential link between B&H’s website and its email communications
Streamline the modular construction of emails for consistency and efficiency
Improve mobile readability and responsiveness for a growing mobile user base

Working closely with developers and researchers also provided valuable insight into internal workflows and how design decisions impact implementation.

The Process

Research and Audit:

Our researcher compiled a full list of emails, analyzing which were actively being sent and opened.
Focused efforts were placed on emails that had not yet been updated by prior initiatives.

Design & System Building:

I broke down existing email layouts into modular sections (header, footer, product sections, introduction messages, etc.).
Developed a matching Smartsheet document, categorizing all variables and sections to standardize inputs.
Designed a modular template system that allowed different sections to be combined easily depending on email type (e.g., a gift confirmation showing a user’s personal message).

Testing and Iteration:

We tested templates across different variables and scenarios to ensure visual integrity and functionality.
Screenshots and samples were compiled and shared with managers and stakeholders for feedback and final approval.

The Solution

I created a responsive, scalable email design system that:

Matched the new website branding
Incorporated flexible widgets for different content needs
Ensured consistency across all transactional and marketing emails
Improved mobile readability and accessibility

Each email was structured with a standardized header and footer, while the middle content dynamically adapted based on user actions and scenarios.

Impact & Reflection

Impact

The redesigned emails provided a much more visual and branded experience
Previously text-heavy emails, such as order confirmations, were enhanced with images and dynamic content for better user engagement.

Reflection

I learned the importance of trusting my design instincts for scalable solutions. In hindsight, coding the modular email widgets from the beginning would have likely saved time in later stages.
The project reinforced the value of collaboration between design, research, and development for creating sustainable design systems.

Visuals

Mapping the Emails:

I broke down existing email layouts into modular sections (header, footer, product sections, introduction messages, etc.) and developed a matching Smartsheet document, categorizing all variables and sections to standardize inputs.

Built the Design System:

‍I built a flexible email design system to support shared components used across multiple email types, making it easier to maintain consistency while allowing for variation. The system also streamlined the creation of new emails and simplified upgrades to existing designs.