How To Design Business Card Logos That Stand Out
First impressions count! They’re never more important than when you hand out your business card. Think of it as your "mini sales kit." It’s the lightest thing you’ll ever carry but it carries the most weight. In just a few seconds, the person that takes your card sizes you up and makes an instant decision on their first impression of you and your business. Even though the majority of information on your card is regarding how to contact you—the ultimate goal of the card should be designed to sell you!
Your Sales Pitch
Something to remember me by, often a line in movies, your business card should be something others will remember you by! Searching for a new position in today’s job market? It’s hard to get an interview if your card gets placed at the bottom of a pile. Running a business? It’s imperative to stand out among your competitors. What’s the key? Design a business card that captures attention with a distinct branding logo!
Designing a unique logo will not only establish credibility and professionalism, it shows you’ve taken the time to create a unique brand.
To design business card logos that are effective, follow these guidelines:
- Establish your target audience. Who are you creating your logo for? Know your consumers well so your logo design makes sense and inspires your target group to act. Designing a hip/contemporary logo for a 100-year-old furniture company will cause disassociation among consumers.
- Establish product association. There must be a strong connection between the logo and your product so consumers are automatically inspired to act.
- Reflect your personality or business. Don’t overwhelm the design with details. It’s important to focus on simplicity—a complicated logo will cause product discord.
- Be unique. It’s essential to stand out among competitors so consumers will have a clear reason to choose your product.
- Make it classic. This logo will become a recognized symbol so it’s imperative that it transitions from one year to the next.
- Be proportionate. Structure sizing proportions so the logo will look good in a variety of media placements. In addition to permanent placement on your business card, your logo may be used in print or on T-shirts, banners, signs and more.
- Choose the right colors. Use color to represent your business and evoke feelings. Colors can be inspirational and used to represent certain industries. For example: blue for peace or green for the environment.
- Make your logo displayable in black and white. This is also a great way to test if your design is simple enough. It should still look good without any color so it can be used for any medium.
- Stay true to your logo. Don’t alter or redraw it. If it needs to be resized, make sure it’s done proportionally. The true design of your logo is inherent to its quality and should never be compromised.
- Have passion for your logo! This IS your brand. The Nike brand is so widely known that they no longer use their name with the iconic swoosh symbol—the symbol simply is Nike.
