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Business card critique

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I.B
Posts: 8137 - Karma: 24,351
Hey guys, i recently started my own business.

And i designed some business cards.

I just need opinions from a clients view. What do you guys think?


Front:

Click for larger image


Back:

Click for larger image


The front has been changed from "Graphic Design & Web Design" to "Graphic & Web Design"



May 13 2012 9:19PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
I liked the front a lot, but didnt really understand the back. I didnt really like the chinese charecters on it. The front looked great though
May 13 2012 9:30PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
first things first - how old are you, where are you in school, who do you want your clients to be, and what sort of projects do you want to work on?

Also, did you do the illustration?
May 13 2012 10:32PM
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I.B
Posts: 8137 - Karma: 24,351
15, Sophomore, More or less anyone. I've already had a couple clients. Stokedskateboards.com and Loadedboards.com I just got all my papers filed about a month ago, so pretty new.

Project wise, anything graphically. And pretty basic websites. I'm in web 3 and i'm learning HTML5. I know css very well, along with html 4. I'm taking a javascript class at the local community college. So i'm progressing.

A good friend of mine did, I told her that if i ever needed some help, i'd hire her for whatever.
May 13 2012 11:55PM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
There's no cohesion in the design, elements don't relate to each other and are seemingly very random which then contributes to the overall card looking "messy". Try to focus on one element (usually the logo) and keep it simple, take the illustrations out unless you can clearly explain how it relates to your company.

And don't EVER put a foreign language on a business card of all things, especially when you have no idea what it means. It's Japanese, and it says very awkwardly and formally - "sex with the leftovers".
May 14 2012 1:15AM
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miroz
Posts: 10333 - Karma: 3,945
"People who don't use their heads, don't need them" ...lose the comma. What purpose does this quote serve? It doesn't do anything for me.

Quite frankly I like the front a lot but the back is just too wild. I think you're gonna scare people away with a graphic like that. Your card shouldn't be so graphic IMO. All your card accomplishes is the direction of potential clients. You don't want to a) scare them away with an "out there" graphic, or b) give too much away.

Also, I think it's a waste of ink to have that design on there. It's a cool pic for sure, but why do you have your friend's work on your card? That just seems backwards to me. Maybe put your own work on your card - MAYBE - but putting someone else's on just makes no sense.

I guess I just like things like this short and simple. I like the graphic on the front. I'd put your full name on it. I'd lose everything on the back, and maybe just put your website on the back, or just leave it blank. I think in this situation too little is far better than too much. It'll save you money too.
May 14 2012 1:16AM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
did you pay the phone company extra to get a * in your number?
May 14 2012 3:07AM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
i agree with what blondie is saying. The graphic and quote on the back didn't really make much sense to me. I would say put your website on the back of the card. But i like the front.
May 14 2012 8:43AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
I'm not really feeling the card. It's kind of cold. Make it a bit more personal. It's a bit amateurish.

Also, what do the two squares mean, do they have any meaning?

And lastly: lose all the different things you do. Just stick to 3 or 4, not 2 lines full of things you can do.
May 14 2012 11:12AM
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I.B
Posts: 8137 - Karma: 24,351
sqaures? Triangles...?



Thank you everyone for the advice. I'm taking it in stride.
May 14 2012 11:41AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
Yeah, triangles, sorry. But do they resemble something or do they mean something? I'd go with something personal.
May 14 2012 12:17PM
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nkmo.
Posts: 3994 - Karma: 285
1. Check your dimensions, that doesn't look like 2"x3.5"

2. Centered type sucks for most applications, especially business cards. Use your boundaries to your advantage.

3. Type choice is, bleh. Decrease tracking on the company name, increase tracking everywhere else.

4. Whats the * for? It looks mega awkward.

5. Back is super cluttered and there is no sense of order. The white space is hurting, not helping. Use a grid or something for some structure.
May 14 2012 1:30PM
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Brock.
Posts: 5698 - Karma: 1,332
My uninformed opinion: Awful.

First and foremost, the zombie hands illustration is very off-putting. Also It serves no purpose other than just being there.

The Japanese needs to go, unless you are expecting a large volume of Japanese clients. (also the slogan doesn't seem to fit in with the business at all).

The triangle logo colors don't sit well with me, they just don't work. Also watch your margins, nothing really has structure. The type is all fairly random and cramped into weird places.

I would scrap the whole thing and start over.
May 14 2012 1:56PM
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miroz
Posts: 10333 - Karma: 3,945
Adding this: since you are marketing yourself as graphic design with the ability to design and create a client's business card(s), yours needs to be top notch, eh? Set an example.
May 14 2012 2:42PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ux3vncNNLg

Stupid embed disabled...
May 14 2012 5:06PM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
And just for fun here's my badass business card.

Click for larger image
May 14 2012 5:38PM
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TWoods
Posts: 10014 - Karma: 8,386
I don't mean to be rude, but I want to give you an honest critique.

First things first - your typography isn't doing anything, it's just sitting there. You have a little bit of a hierarchy going on, but not much is happening. Nothing there that gives a sense of taste or style. You've also mixed 3 fonts from 2 typefaces right? they are too similar to mix well.

Look at everything you've done and ask "Why". That's what design is; it's a conscious decision making. Why is there japanese? why are there zombie hands, especially ones you did not draw? Why have you chosen to put the phrase on the card? Why do you need to have everything you think you can do on your card? Why did you choose that typeface, what does it say?

To the point, I would lose the illustrations, lose the triangles, lose the japanese, lose everything you've put there at the bottom (logos, advertisements, business cards etc all fall under the umbrella of graphic design, story boards and websites are a different skill set, you've got the word design on the card 7 times).

Also, lose the name. If you aren't a firm working with other people, it's viewed as a gimmick to have a name, especially if you are going to bill yourself as a creative services provider, but have a uncreative name. To own a name like that you've gotta be doing big things, or really boring things.

Start with your type. Make it say something about you, tastefully. Then go from there.

May 14 2012 6:08PM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
Just because you claimed your business card to be "badass" (whether sarcastically or not) I'm going to give you a piece of my mind:

CEO? Really? Of course it's totally up to you to decide your position when it's your business, but really the position of Chief Executive Officer only applies when you have, erm, an EXECUTIVE BOARD. Not only do you not, I'm willing to bet you're the only employee in which case you don't even need a position.

Claiming yourself to be a CEO when the position clearly does not entail what an actual CEO is, not only decreases credibility but it just looks super tacky. You're a photographer or a videographer, which is a respectable title and one that applies to your position accurately, don't claim to be something you're not. Pisses the hell out of me when people do this.

Hope you didn't print 500 of these...
May 20 2012 12:50AM
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canterbury
Posts: 2382 - Karma: 55
*chief
May 20 2012 4:39AM
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canterbury
Posts: 2382 - Karma: 55
This; more is less.
May 20 2012 4:42AM
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.Max.
Posts: 2930 - Karma: 701
Hahah I'm quite aware. Thought I made it clear but apparently I didn't. That card is 100% a joke. I don't even have a reason to print business cards. The few clients I work with right now come to me through referrals. I don't have the time or means to do any physical networking at the moment.

If I were to make a real business card of course I wouldn't Say that I'm a CEO, let alone be careless enough to spell Chief wrong. I would also nix the company name, after all there's no reason to have one. Especially a name as silly as that.

I understand where you were coming from in your rant and apologize for not making myself more clear. But hey, you got to feel the satisfaction of writing that, which we all know is fun to do. As a plus you were able to make that information clear to those who may not fully understand why they shouldn't give themselves a title or company name when in reality all they're likely to be doing is one on one work with small clients.
May 20 2012 9:22AM
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Obsessedwski
Posts: 2261 - Karma: 71
Hahah well-played man, looks like you reeled me right in!

Agree with you on every point. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, apologies from me for making assumptions. When you do make a business card though, why not post it on here so people can see both kinds of examples, one you shouldn't do and one you should?
May 20 2012 4:59PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Look at that subtle off-white colouring. The tasteful thicness of it. Oh my god, it even has a watermark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZVkW9p-cCU (won't embed).
May 21 2012 10:02AM
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dispatchQ_main
Posts: 2619 - Karma: 629
ahahahahahaha
May 21 2012 5:45PM
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