Business cards are no longer a way to simply give someone your contact details anymore, they are a promotional tool. After seeing a post on DailyPoetics about business cards becoming somewhat of an art form, and a massive gallery of some interesting business cards that really do make a statement about setting yourself apart from the other business cards out there, and just because the world is wrapped up in the internet and everyone must have a website doesn’t mean business cards are going to be obsolete.

Some things to think about when you’re going to design a business card, or contact someone to make one for you.

Move off the plain card and step into a world that’s looking at environmentally friendly ways to promote their business cards. There are plenty of designs out there that are using recycled paper or cardboard, it gives a rough look which some businesses are going for now. From perfect looking recycled paper, to something with a little more roughage to it, and right up to thick cardboard that adds a unique element and colour to your business card. Business cards don’t just stop on paper, card and cardboard. Look at clear plastic and use stickers with your details on it to give the business card a layer element to it. Or use tin/aluminium in the shape of a dog tag if you were advertising a business that involved dogs, or military supplies. Thick Perspex is another alternative to look at.

Think outside the square. No one ever said business cards had to be a rectangle, push past that tradition of business cards having to be the same size as everyone else’s. Or a rectangle for that matter. Corners can be cut off rectangle shaped business cards to give them a curved look, make them square, round, teardrop shaped, diamond, or the shape of an object like a surfboard or leaf depending on the business. Rotate which way the cards can be too, either portrait or landscape.

Subtlety can have its advantages. As said before, it will always come down to what business you’re trying to promote and how you want to promote yourself to a future client or associate. A lot of professional business like accountants, lawyers and stockbrokers will still go for that traditional style business card, these businesses are still in a traditional world and it suits them. But I also think a business in that field that breaks the trend will do more business as well. You will find a lot of these businesses still use the business card for contact details and not much of a promotional tool, they will still have thick cards with pastel colours, embossing or impressions into the card to emphasize something.

Sometimes less is more, and sometimes more is eye catching. I’ve seen some great ideas with business cards, especially when they’ve been themed to what they are trying to sell or promote. A great example was a business card for a journalist at a newspaper where a business card had been folded in half and made to look like the cover of a newspaper. Also I’ve seen a lot of business cards that have been folded to give another dimension for the person looking at the card, and just some great marketing ideas that match what their business sells.

Keeping it unique is something that everyone tries to have in a business card. But is not always successful, look at things like cut outs, colours, and if you ever had one of those books that popped up when you opened a page when you were a kid, how’s that for a great idea? Well people are using it in business cards now because it adds a unique element to the business card and something that the client or person holding will remember next time they are looking for a service similar to yours. Some people have gone past using a business card, there are also people using clothing pegs with their details stamped on them, or wrist bands with their details on them as a hand out to clients.

There you have it, some of the most unique and eye catching designs I’ve found (with thanks to DailyPoetics) and I’ll even be trying to look outside the square a little more when I design work for clients.

Coming soon will be a post about logos. Do’s and don’ts of logo design, and what kind of logo suits a type of business.