Client
EssentiallySports
Client
EssentiallySports
Timeline
4 Weeks
Timeline
4 Weeks
My Role
Multi-Disciplinary Designer
My Role
Multi-Disciplinary Designer
Year
2026
Year
2026
Collaborators
Manish Kalsi
Collaborators
Manish Kalsi
Click Through Rate
+19.3%
Click Through Rate
+19.3%
Onboarded New Users
+21%
Onboarded New Users
+21%
Reader Drop-offs
-18.28%
Reader Drop-offs
-18.28%
What Did I Do?
Research
Research
Wire Frames
Wire Frames
High-fidelity prototypes
High-fidelity prototypes
Scalable Design
Scalable Design
Strategy
Strategy
Ideation & Execution
Ideation & Execution
Making promotional designs for newsletters
Making promotional designs for newsletters
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
A Sports Media Brand With a Loyal But Restless Audience
A Sports Media Brand With a Loyal But Restless Audience
A Sports Media Brand With a Loyal But Restless Audience
INCREASING DROP-OFFS
INCREASING DROP-OFFS
INCREASING DROP-OFFS
Readers Were Present.
But They Weren't Engaged.
Readers Were Present.
But They Weren't Engaged.
Readers Were Present.
But They Weren't Engaged.
"I follow your newsletter everyday, but I need something more engaging please…"
-Avid Newsletter Reader
"I follow your newsletter everyday, but I need something more engaging please…"
-Avid Newsletter Reader
"I follow your newsletter everyday, but I need something more engaging please…"
-Avid Newsletter Reader
📰 Passive Consumption
📰 Passive Consumption
Newsletters were read like articles -linear, one-directional. The only engagement touchpoints were polls and story links. Not enough to hold a 50+ audience who wants to participate, not just read.
Newsletters were read like articles -linear, one-directional. The only engagement touchpoints were polls and story links. Not enough to hold a 50+ audience who wants to participate, not just read.
Newsletters were read like articles -linear, one-directional. The only engagement touchpoints were polls and story links. Not enough to hold a 50+ audience who wants to participate, not just read.
🎁 No Reward Loop
🎁 No Reward Loop
Readers had no reason to click through beyond the content itself. No game, no challenge, no sense of community or streak. Each newsletter felt like a standalone, not part of something bigger.
Readers had no reason to click through beyond the content itself. No game, no challenge, no sense of community or streak. Each newsletter felt like a standalone, not part of something bigger.
Readers had no reason to click through beyond the content itself. No game, no challenge, no sense of community or streak. Each newsletter felt like a standalone, not part of something bigger.
THE PROCESS
THE PROCESS
THE PROCESS
10 Newsletters, Founders in Room, 4 Weeks.
10 Newsletters, Founders in Room, 4 Weeks.
10 Newsletters, Founders in Room, 4 Weeks.
New games segment
Premium newsletter design
CTA optimization
New games segment
Premium newsletter design
CTA optimization
Better Layouts
Clean Structures
Better stories to keep them engaged throughout
Better Layouts
Clean Structures
Better stories to keep them engaged throughout
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
Research & Brainstorm
Research & Brainstorm
Early Concepts
Early Concepts
Design Iterations
Design Iterations
Building on Drafting Software
Building on Drafting Software
Final Launch
Final Launch
Stakeholder Feedback
Stakeholder Feedback
4 Weeks (Not to scale)
4 Weeks (Not to scale)
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
More Than Engagement.
A Complete Experience Redesign.
More Than Engagement.
A Complete Experience Redesign.
More Than Engagement.
A Complete Experience Redesign.
The solution wasn't to bolt on gimmicks. EssentiallySports' audience-first culture demanded that every change felt earned and purposeful - pure quests based on the sport they follow. Alongside engagement mechanics, we rebuilt the entire newsletter structure from layout to branding to CTA hierarchy.
The solution wasn't to bolt on gimmicks. EssentiallySports' audience-first culture demanded that every change felt earned and purposeful - pure quests based on the sport they follow. Alongside engagement mechanics, we rebuilt the entire newsletter structure from layout to branding to CTA hierarchy.
The solution wasn't to bolt on gimmicks. EssentiallySports' audience-first culture demanded that every change felt earned and purposeful - pure quests based on the sport they follow. Alongside engagement mechanics, we rebuilt the entire newsletter structure from layout to branding to CTA hierarchy.
Sports-Based Quests & Games
Sports-Based Quests & Games
New gamified segments tailored to each sport - trivia, predictions, challenges. Gave readers a reason to interact beyond just reading. Built for the 50+ audience who loves to test their knowledge.
New gamified segments tailored to each sport - trivia, predictions, challenges. Gave readers a reason to interact beyond just reading. Built for the 50+ audience who loves to test their knowledge.
New gamified segments tailored to each sport - trivia, predictions, challenges. Gave readers a reason to interact beyond just reading. Built for the 50+ audience who loves to test their knowledge.
Premium Newsletter Design
Premium Newsletter Design
Rebuilt layouts for clarity and visual hierarchy. Inspired by the newspaper headline aesthetic of EssentiallySports' new brand direction - editorial, bold, familiar to a mature audience.
Rebuilt layouts for clarity and visual hierarchy. Inspired by the newspaper headline aesthetic of EssentiallySports' new brand direction - editorial, bold, familiar to a mature audience.
Rebuilt layouts for clarity and visual hierarchy. Inspired by the newspaper headline aesthetic of EssentiallySports' new brand direction - editorial, bold, familiar to a mature audience.
CTA Optimisation
CTA Optimisation
CTA Optimisation
Redesigned call-to-action placement, copy, and visual weight throughout each newsletter. Reduced friction between reading and clicking - tested multiple positions before settling on the highest-performing hierarchy.
Redesigned call-to-action placement, copy, and visual weight throughout each newsletter. Reduced friction between reading and clicking - tested multiple positions before settling on the highest-performing hierarchy.
Redesigned call-to-action placement, copy, and visual weight throughout each newsletter. Reduced friction between reading and clicking - tested multiple positions before settling on the highest-performing hierarchy.
Scalable Design Systems
Scalable Design Systems
Scalable Design Systems
Built a component library covering 10+ sport newsletters - consistent brand, flexible sport-specific identity. Enabled the team to produce at speed without sacrificing quality or coherence.
Built a component library covering 10+ sport newsletters - consistent brand, flexible sport-specific identity. Enabled the team to produce at speed without sacrificing quality or coherence.
Built a component library covering 10+ sport newsletters - consistent brand, flexible sport-specific identity. Enabled the team to produce at speed without sacrificing quality or coherence.
SYSTEM
SYSTEM
SYSTEM
Consistent Branding Across 10+ Newsletters
Consistent Branding Across 10+ Newsletters
Consistent Branding Across 10+ Newsletters
THE IMPACT
THE IMPACT
THE IMPACT
Numbers That Moved.
Readers Who Stayed.
Numbers That Moved.
Readers Who Stayed.
Numbers That Moved.
Readers Who Stayed.
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
Metric
Metric
Click Through Rate
Click Through Rate
X%
X%
19.3%
19.3%
New User Traffic
New User Traffic
X%
X%
21%
21%
Reader Drop-off Rate
Reader Drop-off Rate
X%
X%
-18.28%
-18.28%
Retention
Retention
X%
X%
+25%
+25%
Before
Before
After
After
Impact
Impact
REFLECTIONS
REFLECTIONS
REFLECTIONS
What I'd Tell Myself On Day One
What I'd Tell Myself On Day One
What I'd Tell Myself On Day One
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
Four weeks of work. Measurable outcomes across every metric that matters for a newsletter product - open rate, click-through, and the most honest signal of all: whether readers stuck around to finish.
UP NEXT
Pine Labs +28% Adoption in B2B Fintech
How redesigning product drove measurable adoption across a complex issues that readers faced on daily basis.
Audience Changes Everything
Audience Changes Everything
Audience Changes Everything
Designing for a 50+ sports audience forced me to rethink defaults around font size, interaction density, and content hierarchy. Clarity and familiarity outperform novelty at every turn.
Designing for a 50+ sports audience forced me to rethink defaults around font size, interaction density, and content hierarchy. Clarity and familiarity outperform novelty at every turn.
Designing for a 50+ sports audience forced me to rethink defaults around font size, interaction density, and content hierarchy. Clarity and familiarity outperform novelty at every turn.
Systems Thinking Over Others
Systems Thinking Over Others
Systems Thinking Over Others
The real leverage was in the component library - a single well-designed game block, reused across 10 newsletters, multiplied the impact by 10x. I'd invest in the system even earlier next time.
The real leverage was in the component library - a single well-designed game block, reused across 10 newsletters, multiplied the impact by 10x. I'd invest in the system even earlier next time.
The real leverage was in the component library - a single well-designed game block, reused across 10 newsletters, multiplied the impact by 10x. I'd invest in the system even earlier next time.
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
PineLabs +28% Adoption in B2B Fintech
PineLabs +28% Adoption in B2B Fintech
How redesigning product content clarity drove measurable adoption across a complex financial platform.
How redesigning product content clarity drove measurable adoption across a complex financial platform.
Pine Labs is a leading Indian merchant commerce fintech platform (founded 1998) that provides comprehensive, AI-integrated payment solutions, including smart POS terminals, online payment gateways, and prepaid/gift card services.
Client
EssentiallySports
Timeline
4 Weeks
Role
Multi-disciplinary Designer
Year
2026
Collaborators
Manish Kalsi
User Understanding
32%
Product Adoption
28%
Product Drop-offs
14%
MY CONTRIBUTION
What Did I Do?
Research
Rough Frame Sketches
High-fidelity Frames
Scalable Design
Strategy
Design
Moodboarding
Animation Ready Assets
Have an idea in mind?
Have an idea in mind?
Let's Talk!
Let's Talk!
& create something meaningful together
Made with ❤️, layers & late night coffees.
Made with ❤️, layers & late night coffees.
©2026, Suhail Quraishi
©2026, Suhail Quraishi
Have an idea in mind?
Let's Talk!
& create something meaningful together
Made with ❤️, layers & late night coffees.
©2026, Suhail Quraishi