Business cards are certainly not a thing of the past as some may think. It’s actually one of the older business etiquette still being followed today. Business cards are pretty much a key asset in communicating vital information about a professional individual in a particular field.
The business card design, however, has the potential to communicate much more to a person than just the details on it. A carefully crafted business card design could speak volumes about the professionalism and quality of a business. A sloppy business card design could be the first red flag you raise in the eyes of a potential consumer.
In that sense, it is to be noted that first impressions are really important in the world of business. That’s why you need to have a killer business card in hand, that exudes excellence and style. Someone will take one look and decide to make that call just because the design is good. Yes! A good business card design has the potential to accomplish something like that.
It wouldn’t surprise you then to know that a lot of thinking needs to go into creating a business card design.
Let’s take a look at a few things you need to keep in mind when designing a business card.
A business card’s first purpose is to communicate important information. While it is also a marketing tool, the information and how it’s presented is the #1. goal. So it’s crucial that you keep the design as simple as possible. You need to leave focus on the important things without distracting the eye.
Trust us, a business card design is no place for you to go full-on extra with the designing. It’s one of those things that flourish when it’s at its simplest.
A business card is shared from hand to hand. With that much mobility, it could face the normal wear-and-tear that a perishable item could face. You don’t want to risk creases and faded colors in a short amount of time since it came out of the printer.
In that case, there are a few things you could do to avoid this altogether and increase the longevity of your card. Think about the material and ink you use when printing your business card design. Those could make a huge difference in how long the card would last.
Whichever material and ink you choose, go for high-quality ones. Don’t forget to also focus on finishing with processes like foil-blocking, spot UV, and metallic inks. When someone holds your business card they need to feel the luxury and attention that has gone into it. It helps them evaluate the level of professionalism in your business and in turn, helps them trust you.
Color is an important part of making a business card design stand out. Since business cards are such small printed material, (one common size being 55x85mm,) it’s important to ensure it’s not too busy. Color helps draw the eye to different placements. Therefore it’s important to make sure you don’t go crazy with the colors ensuring that the right details are seen instead of a colored mess.
One of the classiest options for a business card design is using white. It has a sense of professionalism that other colors can’t match. It’s suitable for most industries. White paired with the right colors in moderation, would make for an excellent background.
The color black is also good but doesn’t suit all industries. For someone in the tech industry, a black business card design with the right accents could help make them look top-edge.
Whichever color you use in the background, make sure to use a high-contrast color for the fonts. The best direction would be to stick high-contrast colors in your brand guidelines since you probably already have on hand a good color scheme that works for your brand’s tone.
It’s such an obvious thing to understand why typography is important in business card design. The sole purpose of the business card is to communicate information as we’ve already established.
If the information is not clear the purpose is defeated and you’ve just dented your marketing fund for no good reason. Because you’d have no use for an unreadable business card, it would do more damage than good to your brand and to you, personally. It is, therefore crucial that the fonts utilized are legible and readable.
Not only are the fonts important but the spacing and the kerning etc. all collectively work to make the card as professional as it can be.
A business card is essentially a piece of document that helps draw potential consumers to connect back with you. This is why you have to make certain that you mention all the right details. Emphasis on the word “right”. It has to include key information as well as the right information.
Yes, sometimes you may miss a letter or a number which could send all your efforts down the drain. So, provide the right details and make sure you’ve double-checked each letter, each stroke, each number, and spacing before sending it off to the printer. Don’t forget to involve a colleague or a friend to double-check it for you.
Sometimes we won’t notice a mistake because our eyes have gotten so used to seeing it that it becomes unnoticeable. But a fresh pair of eyes can immediately detect an error. So involve others to make certain there are no issues in your business card design.
If your brand has the potential to be quirky, go for it! It’s understandable that some businesses and some industries can’t afford to get crazy with their professional material. But there are those who find ways to connect with people in the most creative ways. A creatively crafted business card is a great way to make a first impression.
Also, it’s a great feat to make a business card that people can make use of in their daily life. The more interactive the design, the longer people will hold onto the business card.
We think it is important to reiterate, not every industry will benefit from this. If you have a good designer and a creative team you can make something work but a lot of thought needs to go into making something of this scale.
Then there are those industries that have endless possibilities that allow for creativity outside the box. For brands in those industries, we say go for it. But test it out as many times as needed before going for the final large-scale print. See how a few people respond to it.
A business card plays a very specific role in your marketing strategy. While it came around initially as a document that contains contact details it has now evolved into a marketing design. That’s why it’s an important step to keep your business card design simple.
It’s also important to note that your brand is being evaluated here. Whoever comes in contact with your business card will certainly take a look and decide for themselves who you are and how credible you are. We all know that first impressions are what sticks.
In fact, a survey concludes that 66% of consumers will not return to a business after a bad first impression. So, try to make a lasting impression on them. Incorporate these tips and tricks for future business card design projects to make this happen. Too busy to sit and bring to life your design? Try these unlimited graphics subscriptions and let the professionals handle it for you.
