As I spent time researching logo ideas I found business card design very interesting. I for one associate business cards with the uninspiring rectangular white cad stock form factor but looking at other designs made me realize there are numerous ways to break this mould. Ways to branch out can involve different shapes, textures, colours and materials. Below are a few of my favourites that I found on designrfix.com.
Shape
There are an infinite number of options for the shape of a business card but there is a practical size limit in that you want it to be able to fit in someone’s wallet or pocket. More extreme shapes options throw the card stock out the window and use a golf pencil, packs of matches or similar as the medium to print the information. The designs I liked the most started with the standard format and added or removed material. This added a creative touch to the traditional design.
feeding the self
Franco Caligiuri
Materials
Apparently business cards don’t have to be made from white card stock.
Collaborative Service
Coloured card stock can be made even more unique by adding embossed texture as seen in the Collaborative Services card above.
Integrated Entertainment
The Integrated Entertainment card above gives the allusion of texture with the pegboard pattern.
Moving on from card stock there is corrugated cardboard
Wood
Korner Saunabau
Plastics, including coloured and translucent ones that give a multitude of possibilities.
And then some crazy ones such as edible biscuits
Functionality
Being a practically minded person, the functional business cards grabbed my attention the most. Either coasters, bottle openers, or even faux functional camera view finders these cards were my clear favourites.
Business card design wasn’t on my radar until I saw these great examples. With all of these ideas I know I can’t just have a traditional white business card. My preference right now is to go with these maple veneer cards from Lee Valley and print/stamp/brand or laser cut a design onto them.