Skarkowtsky Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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Hi Kent,
A few things come to mind when I look at your latest round of design.
IMAGE:
Are you completely married to having a photo on your business card?
The thing with having an image on a business card is this: it's one photo, looked at on a card that has to represent who you are and what you do in a matter of seconds. Sending out a photo of car, does that represent Kent Southers the photographer?
Devil's Advocate:
Are you exclusively an automobile photographer, or further, a vintage auto photographer? Is black and white your preferred medium? Your card might send these signals to some cardholders. You want to avoid confusion. Catch my drift?
Whether or not it was your intent, the elements on your business card are there to be persuasive and suggestive of who you are, and potential clients might assume the same things I've hypothesized and shy away because it's not the photography they're looking for. They won't assume that you photograph a variety of subjects by just seeing one photo of a vintage car.
If you exclusively shot cars, then maybe I'd add a car to the card. Maybe.
People don't think objectively, they want to be told in the here and now. So, when you give them an image, you're setting a precedence, whether it be true or false.
This is why I always suggest that a business card have a strong typographic design, and not rely on imagery.
TYPOGRAPHY:
Type is more than just relaying a message. It has hierarchy and contrast, just like a photo. Use these elements to clearly express yourself. Make every word on a business card, which, for the most part, is a very small canvas with a lot of responsibility, tell a clear story.
First, your name, or, your business. This should be the strongest type. And by strongest, it doesn't have to be grossly oversized to get attention.
I like that you stuck to one type family. That shows uniformity, and is less chaotic. Utilize the entire family. Set your name in a heavier weight, then your title in a contrasting, lighter weight. Or, use the same weight for both, and explore scale.
Then, you can scale down the secondary information like contact info, and use a lighter weight.
Visually, this will create contrast on the card, and act as a visual path for the viewer to scan and read the card.
CONTACT INFO:
What's the decision to omit contact info? Yes, it's 2013, but not everyone will constantly have access to the web at all times. Some people might be in a remote location, or busy performing other tasks. Some people are, simply put, just familiar with traditional contact info.
Make it as EASY for clients to track you down as possible. Restore your phone number and email address to the card. Trust me.
You're off to a good start, you're keeping it clean, and reducing clutter. However, some details aren't considered clutter, you just have to wield them properly, as they belong on a business card.
Images of work do not. I know lots of photographers believe they need to shove an image in your face off the bat, it's not the case.
I've attached my card. After considering my studio work, which relies on shadow play, and is graphic by nature, I arrived at this card with a blind deboss that relies on light to be activated in the cardholders hand. It's an abstract, of course, but alluding to something sometimes has more effect than literally saying it.
I wanted it to be intriguing as its own tangible self, and I wanted the work on the website to speak for itself. Two separate things.
NOTE: This was an error run where the printer messed up the plate and removed my website address, also I have since changed my email address. The printer also took the liberty of moving my logo placement up, but that's another story. It's the only pic I have as I'm typing this. I've since found a new printer, and the correct info has since been restored to my current card. Headaches!
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m168/jl122/eee195b8a9c211e180c9123138016265_7_zps16cd69f0.jpg
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