Brick River Email Platform Product Design
Project: Brick River Email Platform Product Design & Front-End Development
Description: As Lead Product Designer and Front-End Developer, I redesigned the Brick River email platform used by 4,000+ nonprofit staff. I streamlined the email creation workflow, modernized the editor interface, and ensured reliable rendering across major email clients.
I mapped the full user journey from compose to send in order to remove friction and guide users through a clear, task-focused process. I configured and extended the Froala editor, built reusable content tools, and implemented email safe HTML/CSS patterns to ensure consistency and responsiveness.
Software: Figma, Visual Studio, Git, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Froala Editor (configuration & extensions), C# / Razor, Tailwind CSS, Litmus (cross-client testing), ChatGPT
Design Question: How might we redesign a legacy email tool into a streamlined, task-focused experience that simplifies email creation while ensuring cross-client reliability and long-term scalability?
Before
Required technical workarounds to format content
Hard to insert reusable content or find templates
Dated Bootstrap interface
After
Intuitive editor with built-in content tools
Reusable snippets, buttons, and templates
Broke the compose, design, send process into steps represented by tabs at the top
Defining the User Flow
I mapped the email creation process in order to remove friction and guide users through a clear, logical workflow from composition to delivery.
Email Compose Walkthrough
Below is a walkthrough for a streamlined, user-friendly donation form. Designed with the least number of form fields possible and labels placed above the input fields in order to maximize donor engagement.
Development
I configured and customized the Froala-based email editor to create a clear, intuitive interface for building responsive email layouts. This included extensive front-end work in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, along with custom integrations that allow users to insert reusable content, snippets, buttons, templates, and dynamic fields.
A major focus of the project was cross-client reliability. I tested thousands of emails using Litmus and manual checks across Outlook, Gmail, iOS Mail, and other clients to ensure consistent rendering and accessibility. I also performed user testing and iterative improvements to strengthen the authoring experience.
Key Technologies
JavaScript – Editor behavior, custom features, and UI interactions
HTML / CSS – Email-safe markup and responsive layout patterns
Froala Editor – Configuration, extensions, and integration
C# / Razor – Dynamic content and CMS integrations
Litmus – Cross-client rendering tests
Git – Version control and team collaboration
Solution
I redesigned the email creation experience by simplifying the workflow and upgrading the editor interface. As the lead designer and front-end developer, I configured and extended the Froala editor, built custom tools for inserting snippets, buttons, and templates, and implemented email-safe HTML/CSS patterns to ensure cross-client reliability. I tested thousands of emails through Litmus and user feedback, refining the UI to make the process clearer, faster, and more dependable.
The Final Product
The redesigned Brick River Email Platform delivers a clearer workflow, a modernized editor, and reliable rendering across all major email clients. Users can build emails quickly, insert reusable content from the CMS, track engagement, and manage their subscriber lists—all within a streamlined interface built for nonprofits.
Platform Capabilities:
Design Emails in Minutes
Drop in content directly from the CMS
Save emails as reusable site content
Responsive, email-safe templates
Schedule emails to send later
Audience & Engagement Insights
Track subscriber activity and interests
Monitor opens, clicks, and performance
Compare campaign performance
Clean & Organized Data
Remove duplicates and invalid addresses
Let subscribers update their own information
Keep all data organized in one place
Conclusion
The redesigned email platform now gives users a cleaner workflow, a more intuitive editor, and reliable email rendering across all major clients. The updated experience reduces friction, improves consistency, and empowers nonprofits to create professional, accessible emails with confidence. It has become one of Brick River’s most widely used and trusted tools.