not sure where this should go... Custom business card c&c?

[kamekaze]

so I decided to mess around with photoshop for a while and try to make a business card and this is what I ended up with

front:

back:


I know it needs a few things but I am very interested in hearing what ya'll have to say about it.

[texkam]

It looks more like a card for a civil engineer IMHO.

[Sonny]

Hmm, that design look very familiar...

Yep, I knew I've seen it somewhere. 3rd design down
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/desig...s-card-design/

[kamekaze]

Originally Posted by Sonny

Hmm, that design look very familiar...

Yep, I knew I've seen it somewhere. 3rd design down
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/desig...s-card-design/

Thats the tutorial I started with, with a few changes of my own. Thanks for the link though, I see a couple of useful things there.

[Tim-in-TX]

I like the design overall, but I have to think that, for a business card, the font size is going to be almost too small to read when the card is printed at actual size. Probably should be (depending on the font used) at least 9 or 10 pts in size. Remember, there are a lot of folks that need to be able to read it without having to whip out their reading glasses....people like me : )

Also, I understand the minimalist style, and I am a BIG fan of understatement and minimalism, BUT I do think that your logo needs to be bigger. It does not have to fill the card, but it should be one of the first things that a potential customer notices.

[kamekaze]

Originally Posted by Tim-in-TX

I like the design overall, but I have to think that, for a business card, the font size is going to be almost too small to read when the card is printed at actual size. Probably should be (depending on the font used) at least 9 or 10 pts in size. Remember, there are a lot of folks that need to be able to read it without having to whip out their reading glasses....people like me : )

Also, I understand the minimalist style, and I am a BIG fan of understatement and minimalism, BUT I do think that your logo needs to be bigger. It does not have to fill the card, but it should be one of the first things that a potential customer notices.

Thanks for the input, the smallest font I have there is 8, which is cutting it close I know. I am trying to design an actual logo, the logo on the card is temp (just a random font I liked off of dafont). Designing a logo is a little more difficult then I thought it was going to be...

[toverman]

I would recommend having different cards for your different areas of expertise. Unless you are an expert at photographing beer and wine as well, the two just don't go together. Think of it from the side of a potential client ... even though it's spelled out it's kind of confusing what you are offering them when you hand out a card.

My grand plan, still not implemented, was to have different cards for portrait photography, wedding photography and photojournalism. I've got one card, but it focuses on photography and lists all three.

[texkam]

vandelaydesign

Vandelay, I thought they were in latex.

[kamekaze]

Originally Posted by toverman

I would recommend having different cards for your different areas of expertise. Unless you are an expert at photographing beer and wine as well, the two just don't go together. Think of it from the side of a potential client ... even though it's spelled out it's kind of confusing what you are offering them when you hand out a card.

My grand plan, still not implemented, was to have different cards for portrait photography, wedding photography and photojournalism. I've got one card, but it focuses on photography and lists all three.

The card up top was a first draft, I don't plan to list random stuff on there, I just wanted some filler text.

[tc95]

John...you may want to figure out the Name too...JCPhoto is expensive online...$14,500.00 www.jcphoto.com...and...www.jcphoto.net is taken....www.jcphoto.biz...looks taken too...www.jcphoto.us...looks ok...but you might want something with a .com or .net just because most people know that...

The card looks good...however it feels cold and like a gamer card...do something artistic...with it...as a modern plain card it stands out...and could look cool if you do something with it...hologram or color changing material...would give it the eww ahh factor...so people remember it...

[Tim-in-TX]

Originally Posted by texkam

Vandelay, I thought they were in latex.

That was my first thought as well!

[toverman]

Originally Posted by texkam

Vandelay, I thought they were in latex.

I thought he was an architect.

[Jeff_Green]

Originally Posted by toverman

I thought he was an architect.

nope, importer/exporter!

[J Eddington]

Here are some questions I had to answer when working with a designer I thought that maybe they might help you.

1.) List ten words that best describe your photography business. Now, highlight the most important word.

2.) List ten words that best describe your feelings about your work, your products. Now highlight the top three words.

3.) What difference does it make that your business exists? Now, highlight the most important word.

4.) What is the benefit that your photography or services provide to your clients? Now, list 5 words that characterize the personality you want your business / work to have?

5.) Who is your client- age, gender, ethnic background etc...

6.) What is your client’s values, attitudes, lifestyles, etc...

7.) Where can the client be found?

8.) What is the communication & message strategy? What is the primary purpose of this what your business has to say and contribute to it’s reader/viewer?

9.) What are your least favorite colors & most favorite colors?

[texkam]

some questions

Good stuff except perhaps the last one.

What are your least favorite colors & most favorite colors?

It's not necessarily about what's appealing you, it's about what's appealing to your target audience. If I want to do industrial photography and my favorite color is pink my designer needs to educate me to why I may not want to use that.