Design your way

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Business cards can contribute significantly to an efficient marketing plan. Designing a business card is not difficult and it doesn’t cost too much, which makes it one of the most powerful tools of marketing strategists.

Remember – you cannot place all important information about your company on that card. What you need is an excellent design that will create memorable, professional impression about your work.

Impression – that’s the right word! For many customers, a business card will be the first and most important impression of your activity. Running a well organized business with poorly designed business card is like wearing an elegant suit with a poor briefcase.

How to design a business card – make it cool!

Mash Creative Business card design
Image source: Mash Creative

Design your business card in a way which will respond to the futuristic requirements of the market. As we all know, graphic design is developing with a rocket speed, and the updated business card design is the lucrative proof of it.

The best way to decide how to design a business card is to follow the example of big corporations, which employ a professional approach and use cards as opportunities to draw attention to their products/services.

Why should you create your own business cards?

Badcass Business card design
Image source: Badcass

We must admit though, that business card usage had a major drawback in recent years-people decide more and more to use technology and to store contacts in their phones, instead of collecting cards.

Let me give you two reasons to design your business card:

  • Business cards reflect your identity. If properly designed, they will certainly draw attention and they will make people remember who you are and which your business branch is.
  • Business cards are time savers. As much as a person may like to use his new smart phone, he will not always be able to spend time inserting all of your data in it. Handing a business card will save time (both for you and your potential customer) and it would mean you gave them a carbon-copy of all the information you want them to know.

Make it stylish!

Bernard Maisner Business card design
Image source: Bernard Maisner

We could all agree that most business cards are not interesting. Perhaps, it is not their purpose to be so. However, outstanding industries handle this problem quite well, as they employ excellent designers to make their brand stand out.

We are not discussing shiny, overdone and unrealistic cards, but rather something that looks sophisticated and can brag with excellent functionality. The main point is to balance looks and performance.

A sneak-peak into basics

Belinda Love Lee Business card design
Image source: Belinda Love Lee

Basic business cards usually contain a plain white/beige background and bold black text. As simple as it sounds, this approach guarantees utility. It is a great idea for those responding to basic market needs, whose customers could hardly be impressed by fancy looks and excessive information. Go basic if you think that your customers want nothing, but the essential information.

Imagery cards

Sometimes, putting your photo on a business card (or even a caricature, when your business allows it) can be helpful for people to remember you and to recognize your work.

Applying images of photos and services can be even better, as it helps people associate your company with a particular sector and to understand your work even without further explaining. Black and white cards could also use bold color splashes, so that people would understand you’re there to make a difference.

Non standard cards

Georgi Grancharov Business card design
Image source: Georgi Grancharov

This is a wide-choice area that provides a lot of space to employ creativity. You want to be unique? Pay attention to how the card feels, rather than how it looks. Use non standard materials (wood, cotton) or design some interesting shapes (rounded edges, folds, etc). However, have in mind these cards can be really costly, compared to the normal ones.

Multifunctional cards

Jukebox Print 2 Business card design
Image source: Jukebox Print

Its true-most people will throw the card in some corner and they will not remember to use it when the time comes. That’s why you have to consider multifunctional cards, which promote your brand, but serve another purpose at the same time. You can provide cards with valuable information (calendars, timetables), discount coupons, or currency lists. Long story short-think about everything your customer may need.

Look at some valuable examples-hotels encourage people to visit them with a location map, while gas stations include a list of all additional services they provide. The more purposeful your card is, the more interesting it will become.

Original cards

Ryan Romanes Business card design
Image source: Ryan Romanes

Originality is something everybody desires. Your business card can be the excellent tool, as long as you’re passionate enough to design it properly. You can employ fancy details, extravagant means or rich colors-as long as it keeps up with your budget, there are no restrictions.

Time to create your own business card

Saint Bernadine Mission Communications Inc. Business card design
Image source: Saint Bernadine Mission Communications Inc.

Before you start, think that your business card is the personalization of your business-it has to reflect the quality of your work; the history of your brand; and it has to tell an interesting story that customers will like.

Basic tips for designing a business card

Think about size

Ramp Creative Business card design
Image source: Ramp Creative

Take a standard format (3.5 x 2 inches) which can easily fit inside the wallet. Making a smaller one (if you wish to include less information) could be a good idea, but including a larger one will hardly make users want to keep it.

Include readable information

It’s not enough to include all the basic information-use fonts and sizes that are readable, and can help potential customers to locate and to contact you.

Find a way to impress customers

Ghost Business card design
Image source: Ghost

Think about it-does your card look as professional and passionate as you are? What would you think if you saw the same card coming from another brand? Is it the real card for your business? Is there something you can do to improve it?

The initial 10 seconds make it or break it. It is the very moment when clients build long-lasting opinions about your work. Sounds ungrateful, but that’s how it is-we’re humans and we judge the book by its cover.

Don’t worry – it is not Mission impossible. There are tricks and tactics which can make your card interesting and could even distract customers from flaws you don’t want to be seen.

The W-set: What, Who, Where, Why?

JWT Brussels Business card design
Image source: JWT Brussels

We might be repeating this, but it is very important-the essential factor of a good card is the information it contains. The best way is to pack names, addresses, logos and job titles; and to display them in an understandable manner.

Once again, don’t exaggerate with information-you want to balance between contact data and clear, beautiful appearances. If not sure, stick to the essentials: Name, website, email address, and phone number/s.

Trends don’t necessarily concern you

Loco Starr Group Business card design
Image source: Loco Starr Group

There are many trends, pitfalls, and even misconceptions people tend to follow when designing a business card. For instance, you may think that a 3mm bleed, as provided by the printer, is your solution. Don’t do it right away, but check whether it actually suits your style and whether you can do it.

A commonly followed approach is to design cards with sharp borders, in order to avoid misalignment, Guess what? If you did the alignment properly, borders really don’t play a role.

Readability

ResKate Arts & Crafts Business card design
Image source: ResKate Arts & Crafts

Between too much information and too small typeface, the typeface size is not the thing you should cut. Resist this temptation and exclude information you think is not so essential. Be careful with it-text will look more readable on screen than it does on paper, and you don’t want corrections once it is done. Let’s say that the best option is 8pt.

No borders

If you can, avoid borders completely. They may look stylish and elegant, but they can produce a ‘lop-sided’ effect once they are cut. Most printers have an already established margin for separating your cards, and it might happen that just few millimeters will destroy the visual result you were expecting.

Colors or no colors?

Jukebox Print Business card design
Image source: Jukebox Print

The same as in other design branches, bright colors can be a helpful tool to stand out and to deliver successful messages, Besides, they can make people recognize you and distinct you from all similar providers on the market. However, brave color games are only for those who professionalized in them, and they are the only ones that can create something exiting and original, and not kitschy.

It doesn’t mean, however, that simplicity has no advantages. A powerful black and white contrast can even be more memorable, and it is often perceived as more sophisticated.

More information

That is why you have the back side of your card-write everything you think would be useful for your customer. Put your personal data or social media links, or define precisely your job space.

You’re absolutely free to organize this information however you like. When it comes to content, don’t forget email addresses, phone numbers, websites, etc. You can also use QR codes, to make the web information look good and accessible.

Imagery

An image is worth 1000 words. That’s especially correct when it comes to business cards. Assuming you already included vital information, you can use the other side to apply more visual tools.

It could be a photo of your product, resources, or whatever that is related to your business. If you have a logo, don’t forget to include it. At the end of the day, the important thing is to fill the space, because people are very likely to look at it too.

Hiring professional help

Hiring a professional for the task is obviously the best choice, but it’s not like all of us could afford it. In fact, with some modest knowledge and big-time motivation, and you could create a personal card on your own.

Double-checking

It’s not just about cards; it is about every paper masterpiece! Check it as many times as you repute necessary, before you send it for printing. You certainly don’t want to notice there was a tying mistake once you’ve printed and delivered it.

Ending thoughts

Studio Giraud Business card design
Image source: Studio Giraud

We live in a digital world, where paper cards seem to have lost their importance. However, they’re still in full possession of their functionality and they are the main representations of your business and your brand’s professional identity.

Business cards matter because they create a good/bad first impression and they contribute to the company’s development. Therefore, if you’re different; your company is different; and they way in which you perform your work is different-share this with as many people as you possibly can.

The formality of business cards is a guarantee for reliance and confidentiality. Well-structured and clear information will secure credibility and excellent communication with your customers.

As you see, business cards are more than artwork. They are good-looking marketing means which convey information for a purpose. It is up to you to decide whether you can benefit from the opportunity, and to design them according to your goals.



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