Contest Update: For far, so good. I’ve been getting some entries, but need more! I’m adding in some more prizes (multiple copies too!) today, so there is more to look forward too! Also, as of tonight, I will have 1000 visits! Hooray! If you don’t know what I am talking about, check it out here.

I would also like to update you on my new commitment. As per a reader’s suggestion, I am going to guarantee a post on a certain day each week. So for now, I am going to say that every Thursday (at least) I will post something up.
 

 
As you may or may not know, I am busily working away at my new brand (which you see bit by bit on my blog) currently. One of the biggest parts of a good brand, logo aside, is the business card. That is what today is all about. The good. The bad. And the truly ugly.


I’ll start by saying that none of the images I am going to use are mine. I am not claiming the rights to them at all. Just have to make no one tries to sue me here! Anyways, a good business card does/has a few things. It has your contact info on it (if it doesn’t, you’re looking at a very fundamental design flaw there…), it usually has your logo, and it has something to make the viewer go “Ohh! That’s cool!”. In other words, make it memorable. I’m going to go through a bunch of designs and critique them I’ll point out what it good, what is bad, and what you can take away from each design. There is going to be a lot to talk about, so get ready!

First up, the fluff card. This card has all the info a client might need (reduced down to just the website, which works fine), has a very clear sense of what they do/provide (wool of course!) and looks well done. Now, with that being said, I have a few bones to pick. First, it isn’t the standard size, both height and length x width. While this helps give it the “cool factor” (I mean hey, you hand me a card with fluff on it, and I’m going to remember it!) it also makes the card hard to store. most people stuff business cards into their wallets, and a square, 3D card doesn’t do that very well. While it is a cool idea and looks great, you always need to think about how the card will be handed/how practical it is. Maybe that was their goal though? Make it so awkward you can’t stuff it away with the rest. Who knows. It’s a fine line between clever and cumbersome.

Next we have a simplistic design, both in concept and visuals. The use of recycle materials is wonderful here, but it leaves me wondering if it is a cop-out. Without the aid of the text (which I feel you should not need text all the time to get something), I would not know what this card is for. It leaves me wondering, in a not good way. It does however cleanly give us the contact information, and by the looks of it, fit in the regular card sizes (practical). While I like the idea of the card being made of office scraps, I feel like the designer almost comes off as lazy due to the lack of design. Still a cool idea, and to be honest, I’d keep their card around.

Here is one that can go either way. For sure it has all the info you need, and look very nice as a finished product. But the conceptual become a question here. The idea that the card will grow and change is a really thing, but it totally throws away the idea of practicality. You can’t keep this in your wallet, you can’t put it in a card wheel, you can’t even run it through a business card scanner. It becomes a hassle to keep, and that is never a good thing. It could, however, go the other way. By being difficult to handle, it could end up sitting on top of your desk (it does need sunlight, right?) and then be in your face all the time. Another question I ask about this card is “why?”. It is a cool idea, but why does a plant relate to a designer? Maybe they are environmentally friendly? Are they environmental designers? Again, when I have to think to get basic information, there is a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea and design, but I think as a business card for a designer, it doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Oh wow. These are my favourite types of cards. You know, those ones that look like they were popped out of a Microsoft Word template? In this one card’s case, it doesn’t even look like a template! We’re talking random, low-res clip-art here. I commend this person for making their own card (I hope they made them… If not, get a new designer!) but it really shows, and reflects upon you/your company. It looks like an after thought, or like you were too cheap to hire a pro to do it, which does not look good on you at all. Why do I say this card is failing so badly? Well the graphics are just that, graphics. They are probably used often, the are low quality and were slapped on there. The centering of text is usually something we as designers stay away from because it looks amateur; point and case right here ladies and gents. The random use of colour is not working very well. When using an accent colour pick the colour carefully and use it to accent important things. Did I mention how their use of 5 fonts is overkill? I don’t even know why they used so many…? *sigh*

As a critic, I always have lots of bad things to say, it’s in the job description! But here is a card I love! It’s simple, very direct, practical, and actuality quite witty. I love the concept and how it hits homes in the sense of showing the concept of their work, and how clear their message is. Not to mention, it would be very cheap to make, while still having impact (cheap card printing, rip it your self, tape it back up). I know I said centered text looks, well, bad. But here it is working thanks to the tasteful font and how the whole face of the card is revolving around the centered text. I really like the simplicity of the card, and I think it works very well!