10 Inspiration Packed Ideas for Your Next Business Card Design

10 Inspiration Packed Ideas for Your Next Business Card Design
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Use Accent Colors to Draw Attention

What is the easiest way to take a simple business card and elevate it to the next level without spending too much extra money in ink? Add a little bit of color, of course! By adding a bar of color across the top, bottom, or even middle of your card, you help your card to stand out in a sea of monochrome business cards. Not only does this make your business card more visually appealing while sitting on your desk or when being handed to a potential client, it helps it to stand out among other business cards that they may already have. And sometimes being noticed for being unique is all it takes to get that extra sale or new client.

Use Images to Stand Out in the Crowd

One of the best ways to make a great impression with your business card is to use every available bit of space on it. By eliminating traditional negative space, you can create a card that isn’t just a business card, but also a piece of art. For example, these Moo Business cards use a full-sized image on the back, which is absolutely sure to make your business card stand out. If you hand one of these cards to a person you wish to network with, they’re probably going to want to examine this non-traditional card. The front of your card can house a more traditional layout, such as your name, job title, number, and other important contact information.

Use Folding Techniques

Accordion fold cards are a new trend that has been taking off over the last few years. What are accordion fold cards? Like the example above, accordion fold cards are cards that are folded two or more times to create three – or six or more surfaces. What you do with these surfaces is entirely up to you. You can use them for artwork or photographs, additional information, package pricing – anything you can think of. Just remember that they do take more materials to create, such as paper and ink, and will likely have to be folded by hand as most business card printing services do not offer this type of service yet.

Go Bold, or Go Home

Using bold designs on both sides of your card can create leave a lasting impression on potential clients and employers. This business card employs a bold black background, gold highlights for the monogram and logo, and contrasting white for important information. This business card is absolutely sure to make a statement when sitting on your desk or being handed to someone you want to network with. Keep in mind that specialty cards like this generally cost more to print due to the excess ink, but they are a great way to get you noticed - so remember that sometimes the risk is worth the reward.

Know When to Hold and When to Fold

Fold over - or easel design - business cards are a fantastic little multipurpose card . After all, this cute little card can also be used as a name plate at a desk as it stands on its own. One of the greatest things about this design is that it extends the surfaces you can work with. In the example, the front of the card showcases the businesses name and information, while the inside of the card offers up information on the individual tailor, such as their phone number and email address. This is a great type of card for anyone who is in sales of any kind. However, the front of the card can also be used for artwork or photography, and the inside can be used for contact information.

Let Your True Colors Show

Nothing makes a bold statement like a well-designed card in a bright color, such as red. That is exactly what Angelina Sulistyo has, with a card that showcases her name, monogram, information, and title on the front of a bright red card, while her important information is laid out attractively on the back. By employing a simple, yet functional graphic - such as her word bubble - you can add some great visual interest to your card. The round corners of this card are another non-traditional design element, which helps to give the card a bit of an extra edge. After all, rounded corners are often associated with sleek and modern designs.

Find Your Theme

If you’re in a business that has a “theme” to it, such as a travel business, a holiday themed store, or a store in a particularly notable tourist spot, centering the theme of your card around the theme of your business is a great way to catch the attention of those who see your card. In this example, the card showcases an attractive blue, brown, and cream color scheme, with a cute hibiscus graphic across the top. This helps to drive home the point that this card is centered on Hawaii or otherwise tropical themed vacations. This concept can be applied to everything from travel agencies to specialty stores and more!

Getting Crafty with Your Design

One surefire way to get your card to stand out is to make it as visually interesting as possible. For example, Made for You Cakes showcases a few small rhinestones on their card, adding a little shimmer and texture to an already visually appealing card. The brown and green color scheme make this card feel very playful and friendly, which befits the cake decorating business very well. However, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to rhinestones, as ribbons, small beads, yarn, sequins, and even small fabric or dried flowers can all be adhered to a card using a small bit of glue. Just remember that by adding these elements, they do become a little harder to store in wallets.

Expand Your Card with QR Codes

Using QR codes on your business card is a fantastic way to spread instant exposure to an online portfolio, service, or store. For those of you who don’t know what QR codes , they’re small square bar codes that can easily be scanned by mobile phones and often launch a website or provide the viewer with information (in a text format) right on their mobile phones screen. This not only makes marketing your services or products quicker and easier, it also allows you to provide more information than you normally can fit on the front of a business card, and it even helps make your card stand out by adding an interesting visual element.

Implying Imagery

When you look at this card at first, you might simply see a green and brown color scheme and business information. However, upon looking at it, it becomes more apparent that this cards design is a little bit more than just a decorative element The brown and green bar at the bottom represents a cross-section of the ground, fitting the theme of lawn care and landscaping perfectly. This kind of simple design is a fantastic way to add some visual interest without having to worry too much about finding an artist or a graphic designer who can create something for you on the fly. This is simple enough for anyone to do, and it still looks fantastic and professional.

References

  • Information provided by Amber Neely, who has seven years experience in graphic design.