Email platform implementation
Mailchimp template design services
Mailchimp template design services create the reusable layouts your organisation uses for newsletters, announcements and automated emails. The most important question is who will use the template afterwards. A designer should ask that early, then choose between building from Mailchimp's prebuilt designs, which suit non-technical editors, and coding a custom template, which offers more control but needs HTML skills to change. The finished template should carry your brand, offer a handful of reusable sections, read well on phones, use live text and always include the unsubscribe link. A short walkthrough for the people who will send emails is part of a good handover.
Below: questions to ask, warning signs, what you should receive and fees. LetGetGrow sets up and manages Klaviyo and Mailchimp, including flows, templates, integrations and migrations, with the scope, cost and timeline set out in a custom quotation.
Illustrative diagram
- Brief
- Design
- Build
- Test
- Walkthrough
Questions to ask
| Question | Good answer shows |
|---|---|
| Who will edit our emails? | A route chosen to match their skills |
| Prebuilt or coded? | A recommendation with reasons |
| What sections will we get? | A list matched to what we send |
| How will you test? | Test sends to phones and email apps |
| What happens at handover? | Walkthrough and short notes |
Designing for your editors
If volunteers or busy staff will send emails, a coded template that breaks when someone moves a section is a problem. Mailchimp's prebuilt designs can be branded and are easier to edit safely. A good designer explains the trade-off rather than defaulting to what they prefer to build.
Warning signs
Never asks who edits
Template may be unusable.
Emails as single images
Hard to read and edit.
No test sends
Problems on phones unseen.
Footer can be deleted
Unsubscribe may go missing.
Accessible design
Ask how the designer handles live text, alt text, colour contrast and font size. These make emails readable for more people and in more email apps, including those that block images.
How an engagement runs
Brief
What you send and who edits.
Output: Requirements
Design
Brand and sections.
Output: Approved look
Build
In Mailchimp.
Output: Saved template
Test
Phones and apps.
Output: Test results
Walkthrough
Editors shown how.
Output: Confident team
Example: a parish council newsletter
Illustrative example — not a client case study
Situation: A parish council clerk sends a quarterly newsletter and wants it to look more professional.
- The designer asks who sends it and recommends building from Mailchimp's designs.
- Sections cover a main notice, meeting dates and a short councillor update.
- A short call shows the clerk how to duplicate and edit the template.
What this shows: The clerk could send each issue without help. This example is illustrative.
What you should receive
Template
- Saved in your account
- Reusable sections
Evidence
- Phone test results
- Footer checked
Handover
- Walkthrough
- Short editing notes
Ownership
The template should be saved in your Mailchimp account, and any design source files should be yours.
Fees
Template design is usually a project fee. Coded templates generally take longer than branded prebuilt designs. Building individual emails afterwards is usually separate.
Brand and fonts
Share your logo files, colours and fonts. Ask how the designer will handle brand fonts that some email apps cannot show, and which fallback will appear instead. A designer who mentions this without being asked understands email.
Testing
Ask for evidence of test sends: screenshots from phones, a desktop email app and dark mode. Mailchimp's editor preview is useful but does not show every app's behaviour.
What to share
Share examples of what you send, brand assets, who edits the emails and their comfort with the editor, and any emails from other organisations you like.
Judging the work
After a couple of sends, check how long emails take to build and whether they look right on phones.
Automated emails
Ask whether the template will also be applied to welcome and other automated emails, so new subscribers see the same design as your newsletters. If existing automated emails need moving onto the new template, check whether that is included or priced separately.
Images
Ask how the designer will keep images light and add alt text, so emails load quickly and still make sense when images are blocked.
Access
Give the designer a user role in Mailchimp to build and save the template, and remove it afterwards. Ask that the template is saved in your account, not theirs, so it stays available whoever you work with later.
How many layouts
Ask whether one flexible template can cover your newsletters, announcements and events, or whether separate layouts are really needed.
Questions about Mailchimp template design services
What does a Mailchimp template designer deliver?
A branded, editable template with reusable sections.
Prebuilt or coded?
Depends on who will edit; prebuilt is easier for most teams.
How will the designer test the template?
Test sends to phones and email apps.
Is a walkthrough included?
Ask; it helps editors.
Who owns the template?
You, in your Mailchimp account.
How is it priced for Mailchimp template design?
Usually a project fee.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Mailchimp Help: Templates (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-31
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