Web and email design are two founding principles of a companies image.  Here are a few areas you need to know when it comes to email design.

Pixel Width
The width of an email should never exceed 800 pixels.  This is designed so that your message will be viewed in the optimal state.  Web based email and outlook have additional navigations on the left hand side that allows for less viewable space than a standard web page.

Above the Fold
The top 500 pixels of your email will be above the fold on about 90% of opens.  This is the area that you need to have your strongest content.  If you can grab their interest here, then you will pull them into your entire newsletter.

The newspaper industry had been part of a shock and awe migration to the web.  Changing newspapers design was the first thing that needed to happen to make this transition.  Here are a few more ways the newspaper industry is changing.

Ability to Share
Newspapers are building huge followings on Facebook and Twitter.  This allows them to break news and distribute it to their followers, who can act as virtual paper boys yelling "read all about it" to their friend and family.

Ability to Connect
Many newspapers are creating social networks within their online papers.  This allows for their users to connect through commenting on stories that impact their lives and businesses.

The ambigram has become very popular over the past two years.  It is a technique that is widely used by tattoo artists and taggers.

Here's a the location of a free ambigram generator:
flipscript.com/ambigram-generator.aspx

It used script and old english, and it will combine your first and last name.  This is great for throwing up on your myspace page or other social media profiles to give your name an edgy look.