Although I continuously work in paperless offices more and more, the concept of business cards are still a mainstay of business. If as a Graphic Designer I haven’t got a card that I would be able to hand out to prospective clients or collaborators, I would be greatly missing out on a key marketing opportunity. Not all business cards are created equal, however. As a designer I live in a world where the average small business can design their own cards and order them from well-known online printers for the price of a dinner. But these cards tend to be of an inferior weight, and typically use twee clip art to relate themselves to the business being advertised.
When considering how to create the most successful promotional material such as business cards one needs to prioritise the most important information content wise. Information such as my name, brand, position, and contact information such as my address, phone number and email. I had to take into account to not overwhelm my potential clients with too much information. Cramming in everything, like what service I offer or what office hours I keep, makes your business card look messy. Inclusion of my social media accounts is a vital communication channels for my startup.
In regards to design, I had to reinforce my brand identity with a layout and design that integrates the look and feel of me as a designer. Moreover other channels of promotional material such as my website as well as my business cards should reflect a consistent brand image. I had to be wary of irrelevant illustrations to fill blank space in my card. Creativity is definitely welcome, but shouldn’t be off-topic. I tried to keep a consistent brand identity with my business card, since it might be the first point of contact someone has with my brand.
Below can be seen three initial mockup designs for the business cards.
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