A guide to effective busines card design

For hundreds of years, business cards have been a vital means of disseminating basic information. Processes and capabilities have evolved, but some basic guidelines remain true in creating an effective business card.

An effective business card should:

• Identify the person and/or business
• Provide essential contact information
• Remind the recipient of what you do
• Contain some compelling feature(s) to make it stand out

Identify the person and/or business:
The card should identify the represented company by name, along with its distinguishing logo, if available. In addition the name of the individual handing out the card should be listed, including a title if pertinent. Adding a photo will also aid in identification as well as create a personal touch.

Provide essential contact information:
How much contact information depends on the type of service to some degree. An address (physical, mailing or both), phone and fax numbers are the norm, but consider including a cellular number, e-mail address, and website address. Be sure to include as much information as is prudent to be readily accessible to your customer without overwhelming them with numbers.

Remind the recipient of what you do:
Often times a company’s name has nothing to do with the product or service they offer. A simple tag line or brief explanation of services offered will go along way. Just enough to jog the memory – too much information on a business card will only get overlooked.

Contain some compelling feature(s) to make it stand out:
Odds are, you are not the only individual trying to get a customer’s attention. Some small compelling feature may be just what it takes to keep your business card on the top of the pile (both physically and figuratively). Maybe it’s a memorable quote, or an eye catching graphic. It could be the type of material on which the card is printed or the addition of rounded corners. The bottom line is this – you want the client to remember YOUR card, and not that of the competition.

A few other quick tips… be cautious of making the design too busy. This can include graphic elements or excessive wording. Too much “stuff” will make the card very difficult to read thereby lessening its effectiveness. Background images can add visual appeal as long as they don’t detract from the main purpose, which is to disseminate information. The small type common on a business card is easily lost when set over some background images. Utilize the back side of the card – back side printing is often very inexpensive and will give twice the space. On a final note, remember your card is a reflection of you and your product or service. Avoid flimsy papers, unprofessional printing (do it yourself kits) and cheap looking “cookie cutter” designs. A poorly made card could actually do more harm than good.