Designing a stunning business card seems deceptively simple. With such a small canvas, you aren’t working with that much text or imagery so how hard can it be, right? And yet, how many business cards have you received that really caught your eye? Or more importantly, that you wanted to save purely for its design? If we had to guess, the answer is probably “not many”.
So what factors go into a well-designed card? Aside from featuring complementary typefaces, consistent spacing, and a tasteful color palette (aka the bare minimum of good design), a great business card is clever in concept, unconventional in materials and printing, and/or bold in its simplicity. Below are a few examples of business cards that have one or more of these factors, and as a result, accomplish the ultimate goal of standing out from the others.
At first glance, this looks like your typical law firm business card, with the serif typeface and Scales of Justice symbol. However, upon taking a closer look, you can see that the card belongs to a divorce attorney and the contact details are printed twice. More importantly, there is a subtle perforation dividing the card in half so that it is meant to be torn apart. When the layout of the business card alludes to the practice area of the attorney it features, that is pretty darn clever. While we typically steer away from using traditional law symbols such as the Scales and encourage our clients to do the same, we’ll let this one slide.
Take away: Don’t be afraid to have fun with your business card.
Right away, this card makes a strong visual impact that definitely grabs your attention. For starters, it is in portrait instead of landscape orientation which is not a common sight for business cards, much less law firm business cards. Secondly, the card features a shiny gold edge that looks striking against the matte black of the card. This card is a great example of how the material and layout of the card can make a big difference in its presentation. Were you to take the same content and lay it out the same way on standard stock with a plain white background and edge, the result would not have nearly the same level of sophistication.
Take away: Bold contrast can help your attorney busines card stand out
Law firm business cards with a foil are already somewhat rare, but ones with a copper foil are exceptionally unique. The card’s layout does a great job of accentuating this by setting the icon in this foil and having it isolated on one side of the card. Most notably, there is no text that accompanies this icon. Along with just the right amount of white space around it, the logo shines thanks to the strategically minimalistic layout of the front side of the card. On the back side, the copper foil appears again but as accents to the text, giving the card a cohesive look and feel. Fun fact: This law firm’s website was also featured as one of our picks for the Best Law Firm Websites of 2015.
Take Away: Good designers know that less is usually more. Before you finalize your attorney business card look at each individual element and ask yourself “Does this need to be here? Is this element getting in the way of or helping me achieve my desired outcome?”
Here is a card that is an exemplar of beautiful simplicity. The colors are limited to black and white and the text is set in what appears to be one typeface. The result is a heightened focus on the content of the card and its texture, particularly when it comes to the logo. The logo has been letterpressed into the card so that even without any color, it can be seen and felt. Letterpress printing naturally calls for a thicker cardstock which gives this card a certain gravitas and elegance. In the age of digital vCards, tangible, printed materials become ever more rare, and consequently notable. Clearly, this card demonstrates this in more ways than one.
Take Away: It’s important to consider how a business card will feel in someone’s hand. Remember, most people associate weight with quality.
Last but not least, this business card is not shy about standing out. The bright solid red would make it very easy to find in your pile of business cards. However, what is most striking about this card is the emblem on the front. It appears this card has taken the approach of laser cutting the logo, which allows the design to be more intricate. Moreover, the natural recesses of the logo’s lines give them a darker red shade, which creates a monochromatic color scheme that is perfect for this card. If the logo was printed with a dark red ink instead, the effect would not be as polished. While the white url looks a bit out of place, overall, this card is a great example of utilizing modern printing techniques in tandem with a great design to produce a business card that is sure to stand out.
The take away: Take advanatage of modern printing techniques.
If you need a hand revamping your attorney business card contact ONE400 to discuss how we can design a card for you that will leave an everlasting impression.
Have a question? Get in touch with us. We would be glad to hear from you.
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