Go to enough networking events and you’re sure to get good at your elevator pitch and the suave exchange of cards. But what if your business card is spoiling your otherwise stellar impression?
We asked two local marketing and design gurus—Lauren Amsterdam, executive creative director of Amsterland in Pocantico Hills, and Mario S. Mirabella, Jr., owner and creative director of Tarrytown’s MSM DesignZ, Inc.—to evaluate a business card, and, so nobody’s feelings got hurt, we used one of our own.
“Successful business cards attract attention so that they’ll get kept, filed, and actually used,” Amsterdam says.
So, how are we doing?
What We Got Right
Front and back: Simply using the reverse side made the card a little different, Mirabella says. And by putting our logo there, we “are placing emphasis on the branding.”
Blue hues: “Flooding the back with solid blue makes it a nice contrast to the clean, white front,” Amsterdam says.
What Was Iffy
Too simple? Amsterdam liked “the clear, concise typography” on the front, but Mirabella found it a little too plain and corporate-looking, especially for a media company. “The card is like many others that just have a simple template feel to them.”
What Needs Improvement
Busy business: “With all of this info on the front,” Mirabella says, “the card gets crowded. I would bring more color and use some artwork.” And, as far as multiple titles, separate cards with separate concepts and only a bit of cross-promotion would be more effective, he says.
Don’t be a square: “Something as simple as rounding the corners would make the card more distinctive,” Amsterdam says. She also proposed that we could print vertically, add a concept by runnning intriguing quotes from stories, or create surprise by having a series of cards with different backs. “The unexpected makes receiving the card more memorable.”
