Business card critique

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I would very much appreciate your opinion on two versions of business cards I have designed (both very similar in fact...). Please don't hold back, let fire with any and all positive and negative comments you may have. I am not a graphic designer, but this I think is a reasonable attempt by myself - but lets see what you think!</p><div></div>

<p>And here is version 2....</p><div></div>

<p>i like the whole layout etc, very clean and simple, but I'm not sure if I'm keen on the image you've chosen. It perhaps isn't punchy enough - not really sure. Have you got any other fave images you could use?</p>

<p>I agree with Anna above....I think an alternate image might work better. The floppy jacket sleeve, tilt of the image and intersecting X of the three arms appears a little jumbled and busy to me. I prefer the color over the B&W though.</p>

<p>Thanks Anna and David for your comments! I have whipped up three alternate versions below. Please let me know if we're heading upwards or downwards.....</p>

<p>Version 3....</p><div></div>

<p>Version 4....</p><div></div>

<p>Version 5....</p><div></div>

<p>personally, I would not lowercase the name.</p>

<p>I like the simplicity of the card, the layout is great considering your not a designer. You really need a smokin"image though. An image that wows the holder.....not an image that your neighbor could take or any other photographer for that matter. Once you find an image that exemplifies your style and expertise...print it! The lowercase letters on your name looks great! leave it alone...</p>

<p>Hi David,<br>

I learned in advertising that people really like faces. People like to see people that could potentially be them. A picture that shows emotion would capture attention and show your skill. And maybe consider a logo to use on cards, website and photo watermarks just to show some continuity so that your website sticks in a bride's mind when she is browsing through different photographers.</p>

<p>David, I would get your wife, girlfriend, sister or female friends to flip through a few wedding magazines and take notice of the photographer ads they gravitate to. I think you will find that the images they love are ones that evoke emotion or a vision of what they would like as a special image on their wedding day.</p>

<p>This is something along the lines of what Mark is saying. I had an image I used in ads and on my cards and brochures that defined me and my style. It also evoked emotion. Everywhere I went, people would comment about that image... Also, when brides called me for an appointment - they would always mention that image... </p>

<p>Consider also - putting the text on the back of the card (phone number address etc..) and simply the business name and website on the front letting the image dominate. Just my thoughts.</p>

<p>PS - Number 7 in your wedding slide show on your website is the one that strikes me... It would be great in black and white... which I feel evokes more emotion and mood than color.</p>

<p>Nice clean design, but I agree with showing faces to create a stronger emotional attachment. Also, I would include an address and landline number to add confidence that you are grounded and operate as an above-board business. Apologies if you've removed them for the sake of this post. It was also recommended to me (and I'm sure I've read it here too) to design the card with one side as a light colour which can take a pencil or biro note for any quick on the spot price quote or website password.</p>

<p>Yes I agree, thats what I'd prefer - faces. When I look though sites it's always the ones with peoples faces that I gravitate towards. The posts above are right about the stronger emotional attachment.<br>

I also like the name in lowercase. looks nice.<br>

I think I'm going towards a colour image, as the black and white ones perhaps make the whole thing look to grey.</p>

<p>For me its a tie between number 1 & number 5. :) The color image draws my attention w/ the tilt. While the bw looks classic. </p>

<p>Hi David, I really like the simplicity of your designs, I think they all work very well indeed. But have you considered putting an entire image on the front of the card (with your studio name/logo superimposed somewhere at an appropriate size), and your contact details on the reverse? That's what I do with my glossy 7x5 inch cards - I want to make a statement about my photography, first and foremost. </p>

<p>Thank you very much for all of your comments! It is such a help getting other people's opinions as one can sometimes become a little blinkered in one's own view. Anyway, I have taken all the advice on board and will be considering a single image on the front with little text, but for now I've done another version of the examples posted above, using the shot recommended by Mary which I agree is better (funny how I couldn't figure that one out myself....).</p>

<p>In the examples below, the dress is very bright. Although it is not clipping and there is a clear - but small - gap to the upper edge of the histogram, when I convert the colour space from SRGB to CMYK (as required by the card printer) the histogram does clip on the right edge. I wonder if I should chance it and leave it as is, assuming I go for one of these options, as prints are usually slightly duller in reality compared to my monitor. Although this is the case for printed photographs, so what will happen on a CMYK printer for business cards could be another story...</p>

<p>Anyway, please let me know if the examples below are an improvement. My personal preference and leading candidate to date is the BE version (V 6):</p><div></div>

<p>and the colour version....</p><div></div>

<p>I like the design a lot. For whatever reason, none of the images you've attempted to use appear really crisp. I'm not sure how the general public will view that. I understand what you're showing, but not everyone does. Also, what's an event? Will non-photographers know? Is it a Bar-Mitzvah or a company holiday party or a baseball game? Remember, you want people who know nothing to understand....-Aimee</p>

<p>Design is fine. I would add e-mail for sure. A lot of brides plan while they are at work and won't call, but will e-mail. If you are going to use color I would coordinate an image with your signature color of green if at all possible. Envoke emotion with faces and an exciting image.<br>

If no more changes I would go for 6.</p>

<p>Of the ones you have above I think I like the last version the most. Thought I'd play with flipping the image of the bride so that she's looking into the card rather than out of it. I also liked version #3.</p><div></div>

<p>I like version 1 the best. I think a prospective bride will better imagine herself in the photo with the head left out of the photo. I like the dynamic angle and color. Although the blue tuxedo brings to mind my prom tuxedo with the ruffles.</p>

<p>from a (not too snooty) designer's perspective...<br>

make your name stand out! it is the part you want people to remember the most, so maybe make the whole david bell part a little bigger (maybe the same width as photography). maybe nudge all your type over to the right just a tiny bit, it looks like about its to fall off the left side!<br>

besides that it looks great!<br>

as far as the picture goes id try to use something that complements the colors you already have...<br>

hope this helps!</p>

<p>What a great thread. What good ideas. I'm just an onlooker, but I find this so interesting.</p>