Wireframes for choosing an email template

The first list style approach didn't answer any questions someone might have when picking an email template:

What is this template for and does it fit my use case?
What do the visual elements look like?
What does the copy look like?
Do I need to make tons of changes and am I better off just starting from scratch?

People should be able to get a feel for an email template's visual elements and copy before making a decision. This goal ultimately led us to the card layout with larger thumbnails, quick previews, and an explanation of the template's use case.