While there isn’t one silver bullet, I suggest a design checklist that covers the six significant contributors to a high performance email. These are indeed iterative, so a smart designer will address in order.

1. Brand Synergy
Seamless visual recognition and essence of the brand across all media creates consistent brand impact. Immediate corporate identification in the email transfers this recognition into trust to engage and transact.

2. Intelligent Visual Organization.
Organize content to ensure primary engagement and response actions are visible above the fold and in preview panes.

3. Engagement Techniques.
Use graphic design techniques to engage the subscriber through a mix of emotive and rational imagery and layouts. Smart use of images, borders, buttons, links, charts, color backgrounds should be applied and tested.

4. Response Maximization.
Graphically entice the subscriber eye throughout the selling process, capturing their eye at the primary call-to-action.

5. Rendering Results.
Ensure your design efforts are viewed in the subscriber inbox as intended. Emails that are designed and coded with image-blocking, preview panes and email client/reader differences in mind will succeed.

6. Tested Quality.
Only comprehensive testing will validate successful rendering of design and ensure functional performance prior to sending to the subscriber inbox.

My advice for the holiday season is to design with your strategic program goals in mind, following these six steps to ensure the subscriber experience is fully-focused on delivering long-term value. There are no short-term silver bullets that bring sustainable riches if you compromise your subscriber relationship or marketing plan.