Business Card Design That Works
Business cards are vital to the success of any business. They're your first point of contact with potential customers and it’s important to make a good impression. Companies spend a lot of time and money on designing a business card, so why not take advantage of that by finding a great design that works?
This article will walk you through some common business card mistakes and give you tips on what to do in order to avoid them. It also provides some examples that can serve as inspiration for your design.
1. Inexact information.
Always be as clear and concise as possible when designing your business card. It’s better to provide only the most important information and avoid a lot of details that may potentially confuse or bore the reader. You also need to make sure that all of the contact information, such as address, phone number, email etc., is correct. Errors in details like this are especially important if you plan on handing out your business card to a potential client or colleague, so keep it in mind during all stages of design.
2. Confusing design.
It’s important to remember that the average person doesn’t have a background in art or design, so keep things simple and always, always avoid fads. It’s better to have a plain business card with good information then a visually stunning one with no substance. Think of it this way – if someone walked away with your business card, would they be able to remember or find out more about your company just by looking at it? If not, you should re-think your ideas and maybe even test them out on people you know before finalizing your design.
3. Too much information.
This one is very much related to the first point. It’s important to make sure that you don’t overload your business card with too much information, especially if your audience is not familiar with the industry you work in. You may think it would be easier for someone to find your website by including a link on your business card, but on the other hand, it can also be very confusing and scare people away from looking further into your company.
4. No business name or address.
The most important information on a business card should always be your name and contact details (phone number, email address, etc.), so be sure to make space for this before finalizing your design. If you are including a logo on your card, it is also essential to include the company name in some form.
5. No visual impact.
While a small amount of text can be OK, it’s important to understand that people will only take a couple of minutes to glance over the information on your business card before deciding whether or not they want to meet you. Make sure that it has enough visual elements so that the information is easy to digest and clear at first glance. In addition, make sure that the design is consistent with your company brand identity and overall message – this will help people remember you after they’ve met you or received your card.
6. Unprofessional look&feel.
It’s important to remember that first impressions are everything. People form opinions about you on a very basic level just by looking at your business card, so make sure it’s well-designed and professional. The overall look and feel of your card should be in line with the rest of your brand identity, otherwise people may not take you seriously or think that you’re a “fly-by-night” company.
7. Quality paper&printing.
The paper and printing quality are also very important when it comes to designing a business card. Make sure that your actual card matches the look you want, whether it’s a traditional and elegant design or a more modern and creative look. Paper quality also matters – good card stock is much more important than good ink. Try to find high-quality paper that doesn’t bleed through easily, otherwise people may get frustrated with poor-quality prints. You don’t want to see ink or smudges on the surface of your business card that literally presses away from the surface when touched.
8. Unprofessional shapes/size.
When designing your business card, make sure that the shape of the card and its overall size matches your brand identity. A business card that is too big or too small will look unprofessional and out of place with everything else you do. It also looks tacky if you have a logo printed on the front of a very large and thick business card, so always keep the size and shape of your business cards to a professional level.
9. Poor quality printing/printing techniques.
Another important thing to consider when it comes to printing is the quality of printing you want for your business cards. The most expensive business cards are printed in either black or metallic ink, while the cheapest business cards are printed using two toner colors (typically black and red). Some businesses also print their cards using a pen plotter instead of a big offset printing machine.
10. Inconsistency.
Another important aspect of designing your business card is keeping everything consistent, starting from your brand identity to the way it looks, reads and feels. The more consistent everything is, the stronger your brand will be and the more successful you’ll be as a company.
11. Incorrect amount of information.
The last thing to keep in mind when designing your business card is the amount of information you should present to the reader. The more information you include, the less readability and design quality you’re going to have. It’s better to find a good balance that will leave your reader with a desire for more, rather than confusing them with too much stuff that they are not able to understand or remember.
To complete the picture, we will mention some good examples of business cards (and their main features) from various fields of activity.
Conclusion:
The main thing to remember when designing your business card is that it will present your company to others on a very basic level, so make sure that the overall design is clean and simple, with a good balance between text and visuals. It’s also important to consider the actual paper your business card will be printed on, its shape and size – make sure everything is consistent with your brand identity and remember that first impressions are everything. When you have all of this covered, you can start creating a high-quality business card using online tools such as Canva or by using any other graphics editor.