Email Design Systems: Part 1 — Identify Email Stakeholders
continued from Email Design Systems: Introduction
Originally, when creating our Email Design System, the first step I took was auditing the current email program. Looking back, the better first step would have been to identify email stakeholders.
Part of the email audit process includes identifying common design patterns, but each person involved with the email process will have valuable insight you’ll want to incorporate into the eventual creation of your design system. More insight into what they wanted to accomplish, what they actually accomplished and what worked/didn’t work can only make your work better.
“Having a list of email stakeholders already identified will be invaluable — especially if they feel their experience has already been taken into account.”
There’s also the element of team adoption once your design system is ready. Having a list of email stakeholders already identified will be invaluable — especially if they feel their experience has already been taken into account.
Email stakeholders should include anyone involved with:
- Requesting emails
- Concept or planning of emails
- Production of emails — this includes copywriters, designers, developers and QA
- Data and/or logistical setup of emails in your ESP
- Analytics or anyone in charge of tracking email performance
- Approving emails
Sometimes these roles cross over or are combined into a few people; perhaps someone’s role only helps with email a small percentage of the time. Whatever the case, if there is someone involved with email in any capacity, identify them as an email stakeholder.
You’ll also want to indicate which tasks each person is responsible for around email. This becomes applicable later on when forming your plan around team adoption.
