First for Bridge: Re-engineering the Email Journey
First for Bridge is a specialist tour operator offering hosted bridge holidays and events for players of all levels. Despite a loyal, high-intent audience, their email communications were underperforming — creating friction at the very point where users needed clarity and confidence to progress toward booking.
My Role
Lead Designer
Tools
Figma, Dot Digital, Adobe Suite
The Brand
First for Bridge
Email engagement had fallen 21.4% year-on-year. The experience was dense, difficult to scan, and inconsistent — particularly on mobile. CTAs were easy to miss, trust signals were buried, and the visual language between email and website felt disconnected. For an older audience with varying digital confidence, every one of those friction points was a reason to disengage.
The Challenge
I began with a UX audit of the existing email communications, combining heatmap analysis, click data, and customer journey review with stakeholder workshops and competitor benchmarking. This gave a clear picture of where and why users were dropping off.
The redesign focused on reducing cognitive load through simplified content structure, stronger visual hierarchy, and improved scanability. Typography was scaled up for accessibility, CTAs were repositioned and made consistent, and value propositions were surfaced earlier in the scroll. I also introduced segmentation by holiday type and player skill level, and extended the visual system across web, social, and print to create continuity across the full customer journey. Wireframes and A/B testing validated key decisions — notably that a strong hero image with concise copy consistently outperformed text-heavy layouts.
The Approach
The redesign reversed a sustained decline in engagement. Click-to-open rate improved by 18.4%. Beyond the numbers, users were progressing through the journey with greater confidence — better understanding the holidays on offer, trusting the brand, and moving toward booking with less friction.
The Impact
