Designing Effective Business Cards and Logos

Crafting a compelling business logo builds a brand image, company identity and customer relationship within the marketplace. A logo provides credibility and prominently reflects every facet of your company from its history and tradition to mission statement and goals.

As your business grows, the possibilities of what your logo may brand are endless. Logos appear on the company website and intranet, office supplies, promotional products and advertisements. Logos offer brand loyalists and avid customers a sense of belonging. Do you prefer your Starbucks mug over your generic mugs? Have you bought a designer shirt, such as Lacoste or Ralph Lauren, because of its logo emblazoned on the fabric? When you support a brand and its products, you are likely to feel a connection to its logo and even collect trademarked paraphernalia to show consumer loyalty.

Branding Business Cards

Building a strong brand begins with a compelling logo. As a growing business, typically one of the first places where a logo will appear is on company business cards.

What is the purpose of business cards?

Business cards contain information about a company and individuals who work there and are distributed to potential clients and customers. They are exchanged as part of workforce culture and usually contain:

• An individual's name and company affiliation
• Address
• Phone and fax number
• E-mail address
• Website
• Business logo or image

Business card exchanges are intended for networking purposes or to create business transactions. Business cards serve as a portable reference, marketing tool and lead generator. Handing out a business card lets prospects know who you are and what you do.

The logo on your company business cards should represent your products and services. It needs to be scalable. It should be presentable and readable on a business card, brochure, website or even a billboard.

Business Card Design Dos and Don'ts

Once you've developed a captivating logo, you can start to design company business cards.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Invest in quality business cards that look designed and professional; distributing a subpar business card reflects subpar products and services.
• Keep typography balanced and consistent; incorporate typeface that is representative of your company identity; however, make sure that it translates well into print.
• Maintain a theme that includes your personal logo and matches your brand and business personality. For example, should your business have a serious tone or evoke feelings of enthusiasm?
• Avoid inundating your business cards with too much information or gaudy details. A minimal and clean design is more readable; find a balance between a traditional and unique design.
• Don't use thin and unsubstantial paper; using durable paper that is between 12 to 14 points in thickness is a worthwhile investment.
• Avoiding including coupons or discounts; business cards that market aggressively have the potential to deter customers or clients.

An important step as you design your business card is to view it in the perspective of your target audience.

• Does it grab your attention and leave an impact?
• Is it aesthetically pleasing and easy to read?
• Does it accurately represent what the company stands for?
• Are you moved by its design?
• Is all the important information provided?