What Makes Your Business Card Design Work?

If you are in business, you need business cards. Self-employed people such as plumbers, solicitors, hairdressers, and doctors need cards that clearly communicate who they are, what they do and how to contact them. Yes, we can look all of this up online today, but human nature being what it is, people like those tangible little cards that give all the information they need at a glance. We can tuck them in our wallets or diaries easily so instead of searching through pages of results. We have what we want in an instant.

What makes your card stand out is excellent business card design. Cards that are cluttered or confusing don’t offer people convenience. To communicate the information instantly, good design follows a few rules. An experienced business card maker can advise you on your design. A card that people save and use to contact you is an important part of your marketing strategy: it helps build your brand identity. Your card should reflect your brand by using the logo as well as other elements of your brand’s visuals such as colour and font.

You can hire an experienced graphic designer to create effective business cards for your company, or you can work with a business card maker to get what you want. Either way, it helps to have an idea of which elements can transform simple business cards into effective marketing tools.

3 Key Elements of Business Card Design

Knowing your audience is critical to designing good business cards. What do they expect of you? What sort of image are you trying to convey to them? You will, of course, have asked these questions when developing your logo and tagline, but it helps to refocus on them when you are working with your business card maker.

      • Tone: The style of your business cards should match the tone of your brand and reflect your industry. The design of cards for a creche, for example, can be colourful and fun. But a doctor, solicitor or insurance broker needs a more solemn look to convey that they are capable and trustworthy.

     

      • Clarity: It must have clear visuals. No clutter. It’s tempting to load that little rectan with details, but that will backfire. Keep your business card design minimal for greater impact.

     

      • Brand: The cards should use elements of your branding – logo, colour, font, tagline. People should know at a glance that it is your company’s card. This makes the card easier to find for them, and it also reinforces your brand identity.

     

    Other elements of good business card design are more flexible. If it doesn’t overload your card or compete with your logo or tagline, putting a photo of yourself on your business cards can instantly remind people of who you are. Or you can use a photo of your shopfront as a background. No one card design is perfect for every business. Your cards need to be tailored to your specific needs.