Undoubtedly, you will be handed hundreds of business cards in your lifetime. Individuals often use them as a means of networking with colleagues, a way to form contact with potential love interests, and as an overall form of professional and personal identity. Though they seem to be just a small rectangular piece of paper, business cards are something people can tailor to fit their personalities and professions. In creating great business cards, you might find yourself on the lookout for various elements to utilize in the process. Below are ten potential ideas in designing great business cards for you and your business.
1. A Pop of Color
There is no reason you have to stick with the generic black-and-white or no-more-than-two-color templates you see all the time. Color can draw in consumers’ eyes in and make them pay attention to your products and services, so try and have a little imagination when choosing the colors in your business cards. There is absolutely no reason you can’t employ a palette of various bright, subte, neon, or bold colors, but be careful through the process. If you own a law firm, you don’t want your card to look like you run a florist shop and vice versa.
2. Unexpected Sizes and Shapes
A more generic business card will likely have the popular rectangular shape, but nowadays people are becoming more inventive in their cards’ sizes and shapes. You can make your card as big or as small as you want, and just by doing something different, people will take notice. Also, try and imagine the unique shapes you can employ with your business cards. For example, if you are a photographer try using the shape of a camera for your card. If you own a movie theater, then maybe a movie stub would be an ideal shape. Even a landscaper can create a card in the shape of a flower. Whatever your profession, try and think of what shapes and sizes you can experiment with in your cards.
3. Minimal Detail
Despite the fact that I’m referring to the wonders of complex detail and experimentation, there is no reason minimal detail can’t be used in creating business cards as well. In fact, minimal detail is a great way to symbolize the services of your business, especially if you source something that is up front with no frills and no hidden messages. A doctor’s office, for instance, would likely want to stick to simplicity. People come to a doctor to get better, not to seek adventure. Architects, too, might like the simplicity of clean design. They are the ones in charge of designing a product, so they don’t need the card to speak for them. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you have to be adventurous. Sometimes simplicity in color, typography, and layout is the best avenue to traverse.
4. Texture
Texture is one of the most overlooked elements in design. Texture has a way of creating curiosity, and curiosity is a great way to get people to pay attention to your product. Let’s say you own a house-painting business, perhaps utilizing something like sandpaper will help draw attention to your card and services. A fashion designer might consider something like a patch of fabric as their business card. Sit down and think about various ways of representing your product through texture and you may come up with a very unique idea. As always, the sky is the limit!
5.Pop-up Cards
Three-dimensional business cards are all the rage these days. In designing your card, experiment on how over the top you can go in the dimensions you employ. Be careful with this one, however. Going too crazy can make you and your business seem frivolous. You want the three-dimensional design to flow with the rest of your card, and if your customers have to work too hard to figure out how to make your card work, imagine what they might think about you or your business.
6.Illustration
Images say a lot about a company, so don’t just stick to stock photos in creating the imagery for your business card. I once saw a daycare company that used children’s illustrations as the backdrop for their card. I couldn’t get over how adorable and efficient that idea seemed to me. Think of how you can employ your text or imagery to demonstrate the services of your business through using items like signatures, drawings, personal photos, etc. and see where the endeavor takes you.
7.Humor
Business is business, but humor is often a great way to speak to the nature of your company. People get a kick out of witty puns, playful text, cute slogans, and engaging business cards, so take the opportunity to see how you can inject some playful humor into your cards. I recently came across a divorce lawyer’s card that split in two to symbol his services. Yes, it was a rather playful concept for such a serious matter, but it somehow worked.
8.Gifts
This may be one of the more expensive ways to advertise the services of your business, but it’s certainly a great one. You may have to change the shape and size of your card to make this work, but it’s probably the most efficient way of getting your name, blatant generosity, and company brand out there. In fact, I recently went to my local farmers market and saw a tomato farmer handing out tomato seed packets with his business card attached to the front. Though it may seem odd for him to give away a product he is trying to sell, the response he received for doing so was impressive. I could tell many of those people would be coming back to buy from him again.
9.Fun Typography
Typography is one of the cheapest, most efficient ways to stand out amongst the crowd. There are thousands upon thousands of templates to choose from, and the good news is that there is no one right or wrong way to get your message across. Whenever you are looking for the right font to use, scroll through typography books and, if you have the budget to do so, enlist a typography artist to create something unique for your business. Typography is like a soul mate: You know the right one when you see it, so trust your gut in choosing the right one(s) for your business card.
10.Show off your Skills
If you’re lucky, your business card will do the trick and attract the right customer, but there is no harm in adding a little flare to your cards. One element you can use in your business cards is to show off your skills. This is very similar to the gift idea in that it helps people remember your product. I remember a baker that would hand out free cookies with any purchase. He was well known for his chocolate chip cookies, so the chef always made sure to hand out a cookie in a clear plastic bag with his attached logo on the front whenever customers came in. Think about how you can do this on your own business card whenever you are personalizing your card. If you can’t think of a way to literally show off your work, perhaps you can include a coupon on the card to use at your business. Either way, think of a way to get people to stop in and use your product or services.
Your Turn
With all the innovation and creativity that is taking place in technology and design, there is no reason you should stick to the run-off-the-mill design when creating business cards. Think of how you can use these ten elements in your business cards to impress consumers with your product and/or services.
Guest Post by Susan
Susan is a freelance blogger who enjoys writing about automotive and health news, technology, lifestyle and personal finance.
