Business Cards

1. Business Cards

2. Cards are old • As you can seefrom this Wikipedia1895 example, they have been around a long time • Origins in China of the 15th century, then evolved into visiting cards in Europe in the 17th century • The basic data set still exists, but since the 1990’s cards have included email and www addresses • Telefax is getting scarce now

3. Common sizes for cards

4. Basic info on business cards • While you are not bound to the standard sizes listed before, you may find it cheaper to take a standard size • You can decide whether you want to have it vertical or horizontal • Going vertical is a choice that will need to be based on some idea you want to communicate • Selecting a different material also makes a statement • There are cards made of wood and plastic and even CD’s • The following pages show a few cards • Think of things that work in these and things that do not • Prepare to discuss the findings on Moodle

5. Card 1: is the layout optimal?

6. Card 2: What do you think of the logo and the list of business areas on the top & bottom?

7. Card 3: Recycled paper, good idea? Also, compare logo size with previous example

8. Card 4: the minimalist approach? Is there enough data to go on?

9. Card 5: What about the white space and balance?

10. Card 6: What do you think of the info set at the right corner – is it a bit heavy?

11. What are the dominant factors • Legibility once again is key • Information extraction must also be easy • Design your cards so that the most important parts stand out • Logo must be big enough but not overwhelming • Consider what data you want to show and where • Also remember that many people scan cards these days so as to get them in their computers • Do not sacrifice legibility and scannability (!) to design

12. Exercise: Design a business card for three of the five companies listed below • The text must have the following personal info (other info optional if you want to use it): • Name • Title • Address • Telephone • Email • WWW site • Use the colors, logos and fonts you picked in the previous exercises • Be prepared to adjust those selections if you run into problems in this exercise

13. Transport company • Kokko Transport is a trucking and logistics company • Founded in 1950, it is primarily operating in domestic traffic, but they also do foreign runs • There are 20 trucks and about 100 people employed • Kokko Transport works hard to project an environmentally friendly image

14. Consulting company • Regulus Consulting works in the management consulting business • It has 30 consultants and a total workforce of 55 • Its core areas are finance and tax planning as well as human resources management • It was founded in 1958 and is now one of the most valued domestic consultancies in Finland

15. Media relations company • Ohyeah Media Relations is a three-year-old company which specializes in managing media for the music industry • Its main clients are all major record companies • It also represents some rising Finnish bands and stars • It works through controlling artist information that is given to the media as well as through arranging parties and happenings • Ohyeah is known for its aggressive marketing

16. Von Flügel, Attorneys at Law • Von Flügel is the third-oldest law firm in Finland • With 30 attorneys and a total staff of 100, it is a middle-sized firm • It is known for its high billing and an unbeaten percentage of cases won • Cases often are high profile, but the firm itself keeps a low profile • They also have international cases mostly in Europe but also in the Americas

17. Import/Export company • Cheapex Imports is a company that imports merchandise for sale at low-price markets • The main import area is China, but some products also come from South America and the Far East • The slogan of the company is, ”More for Less!” • Though it is small, with only 50 employees, its owner’s personal visibility is notable (Mr Lehtonen sponsors horse racing) and it is well known