Home General Discussion

Business Card Issues....

1
polycounter lvl 10
Offline / Send Message
acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
So, I'm trying to come up with a business card for GDC this year and I've gone through several designs with the "help" of a business design forum and those that have responded, each one of them have their own thoughts on my card and not one has really helped me out, except the fact my design has improved and I may need assistance for those IN my chosen industry. I'm freaking out a bit about this and this group is beginning to annoy me. I ask questions, they tell me what I shouldn't be doing, instead of offering an alternative.



The gray card was my first initial design and compared to the others is rather dull. The two with the wireframe background is a map I've built for my portfolio and think it's a clever design, my personal favorite but the focus is on it and not on my contact information, according to one guy on the other forum page.

I'd like some font ideas to or some tips on improving what I have. I've done a little more research and if I go with the dark card, I'll change the green to a red color, not pure red, or maybe a gradient of a couple shades of red. I'm rambling now and I'm going to bed.

Replies

  • BagelHero
    Offline / Send Message
    BagelHero interpolator
    The wireframe background idea is pretty neat, but the triangulation is kinda... ugly, to be honest. The plain ones are wonky as hell, not going to lie. The text is all kind of in weird, off-kilter places and the card just isn't memorable at all. I'd probably forget about what kind of person you were the minute I looked at it again at home. Yeah, maybe plain stuff is good for some people, but I think being a little extravagant is fine in our industry. I've seen way whackier-- and hey, at least I know what their art looks like and have a clue what kind of person they are.

    Try to get a little more personality in there. And with the text...
    fmLOGOIG.gif
    All it takes is a grid to make sure your border is consistent and everything lines up. Also, the "Environment Artist" should definitely stay.

    Also, help us help you. The slideshow is annoying, has an ad, is just another link to click (the lazy won't) and it's hard to compare the cards to one another. Would be better to do something more like this, and embed it in your post:
    YiRyNrU5.png

    Hope this helps a little. I say keep an interesting strip of wireframe (make sure it's got no gross jpg artifacts or jaggys, HQ screenshots only) and have a nice clean strip of it on the right to balance out all your text being listed on the left.

    Good luck out there.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Thanks for the tip. I deleted the slideshow. I didn't know Photobucket was going to do that. Here's a better view. I'll try another angle with the wireframe mode, clean up some of the lines in doing so. I don't work on Sundays, so I'll probably be sitting here messing with it for some time today. I'll move my grid lines too.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards.jpg
  • Eric Chadwick
    I would go with column 2 row 3.

    The wireframes above it don't communicate anything great about you. In fact it's worse than blank, because it is telling me you don't know how to present a wireframe that's easy to read.

    Backface-culled wires, or shaded wires, are much easier to evaluate. For example:
    http://www.polycount.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1752193&postcount=4

    But anyhow, presenting environment artwork on a business card is always going to fail, it's too small and too low-res.

    A business card isn't going to sell you. Your initial impression when you hand it over, that's the important bit where you get the person interested enough that they'll want to contact you later. The biz card then just needs to communicate the contact info. And it helps if it's not ugly.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Good. I'll leave the background off then. I'm having issues getting a good image anyway. Makes sense. I'm making up a couple more and going to design a personal logo to go with my card that incorporates my initials and my chosen field. Also, I'd like to incorporate a QR code into my card. Would it be best on the back of the card? Last year, it worked well, it was my first event and the card was designed in a hasty manner but I had a QR code on it. Easy access to my portfolio.

    I'm thinking front and center on the back with my logo in the middle. Depending on the final color I go with on my card, the logo would be green and the code black, or vice versa depending on what looks best. I handed my cards out mainly after the show at parties and bars in conversation. The code helped out instead of spelling out my site.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Yeah a QR code is cool.

    Also make sure your card has some white space. I like to write notes on a card to remember our conversation, like where we met, the date, the subject, that kind of thing. Sucks when I get a card made of plastic or all black.
  • Clark Coots
    Offline / Send Message
    Clark Coots polycounter lvl 13
    I like simple business cards so I think you're on the right track. Make it readable, information conveyed very clear, and you're good to go. Another thing I personally like is when someone has created a Brand for themselves. Business card matches their Website, matches their Resume, with similar color scheme and fonts. Feels thought out, professional, and well presented. It's not necessary and sometimes it's hard to keep up with new business cards when you to change your website design. Just something to think about moving forward.
  • Deathstick
    Offline / Send Message
    Deathstick polycounter lvl 7
    Don't forget an actual written link to your portfolio site as well. Not everyone has a smartphone (I don't for example, so QR codes = :( ), or god forbid the QR code gets scratched or bent/tarnished and the person can't scan it anymore.

    I like the idea of a QR code, just don't forget to have a physical written-out link to your immediate portfolio as well (like in the front with your name and contact info, or right below the QR code)
  • Eric Chadwick
    Here's my current design, not to hold it up as perfect or anything, but just as an example. I liked tying into the design on my portfolio site, like coots7 mentioned. QR code, but the url is there too, same reason as Deathstick pointed out. The blurred out bit is my mobile number.

    2015-01-25_business-card.jpg

    I put some skills on the back. This used to be a list of the games I've worked on, but I've been branching out lately as a freelancer, beyond just games, so this reflects that.

    You could do something similar if you wanted to list various skills (hard surface modeling, digital sculpting, normal maps, PBR, whatever).

    Oh, and I use my inkjet printer to print them out. I use the pre-scored biz card stock from the office supply store, and Avery's online design tool. It's actually pretty good.
    http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Templates-%26-Software/Software/Avery-Design--Print-Online.htm
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    I'm gone for two hours and I have received more positive help here than I have all week on that business forum. Thanks for the tips. Any suggestions on fonts? Or stick with what I have?

    Also, I currently use Deviant's professional portfolio site as my main portfolio location. For those that don't know, Deviant, a couple years ago added a feature to their company in that a user can have their original Deviant page and a professional portfolio site, and it's what I currently use and has worked for me. Once this card is finished, I planned on matching colors, placing logos on it as well as my resume. Should I match the font to the resume and business card as well? My initial thinking is yes I should.
  • Eric Chadwick
    I like the font for your name. Clear, elegant. The serif font is not as nice, but not a deal-breaker either.

    I used Verdana for everything, just bolded and/or colored some parts. Verdana is a wider font than Arial, so it's a bit more relaxed-looking to my eye. Arial is very generic and boring, so I avoid it when I can.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Deathstick wrote: »
    Don't forget an actual written link to your portfolio site as well. Not everyone has a smartphone (I don't for example, so QR codes = :( ), or god forbid the QR code gets scratched or bent/tarnished and the person can't scan it anymore.

    I like the idea of a QR code, just don't forget to have a physical written-out link to your immediate portfolio as well (like in the front with your name and contact info, or right below the QR code)


    I'm glad you said something, I wouldn't have put any thought into it. No need for my home address so I replaced it with my portfolio.
  • slipsius
    Sorry, a bit off topic, but I gotta ask.... That wireframe on your card.... is that.... is that the Raptor hanger? Raptor: Call of the shadows?

    edit: nvm.... Just looked it up. Similar. not the same though.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Also, I currently use Deviant's professional portfolio site as my main portfolio location. For those that don't know, Deviant, a couple years ago added a feature to their company in that a user can have their original Deviant page and a professional portfolio site, and it's what I currently use and has worked for me. Once this card is finished, I planned on matching colors, placing logos on it as well as my resume. Should I match the font to the resume and business card as well? My initial thinking is yes I should.

    Personally, when I see a DeviantArt link that instantly puts me off a bit, before I even jump into the link. I've come to expect less when I go there, just because there's so much crappy fan art, furries, etc. It doesn't give an impression of professionalism. Better to go with your own URL, IMHO.
    http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Portfolio#Methods
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Personally, when I see a DeviantArt link that instantly puts me off a bit, before I even jump into the link. I've come to expect less when I go there, just because there's so much crappy fan art, furries, etc. It doesn't give an impression of professionalism. Better to go with your own URL, IMHO.
    http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Portfolio#Methods

    This is good to know. I'll look into this link when I finish this card. I was doing some digging on portfolio sites, anyone use Dunked?
  • SonicBlue
    Offline / Send Message
    SonicBlue polycounter lvl 10
    If you are still unsure on how to design your business card, take a look at some of these pictures I've randomly found on http://ffffound.com/ (beware of some NSFW contents that may pop every now and then):

    jfletcherdesign02.jpg
    nickbrue_kk_01.jpg
    jfletcherdesign05.jpg

    andyluce-mrcup-07.jpg

    Even if they are not business card, they should guide you to get a more professional look, don't know the style you prefer, so, just browse this blog to find more graphic design:

    http://www.mr-cup.com/blog/graphic.html
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    Hey Alex, your current design looks like it's 1995 up in here. The above post shows a more current design style.

    I strongly suggest you look around at current cards that look good, and just do something super similar. Don't try to re-invent the wheel when you're not a graphic designer.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Aesir, I'm starting to realize this and the more complicated I go, the worse it gets. So, I've given up on trying to hard and going with what is simple and looks good. Give me a level concept and I'll run with it and have something put together with no problems. But you give me a blank business card, forget it. I tried last year for my first GDC and it was bad, even though it was simple. That's why I'm here trying to figure this out.

    SonicBlue, thanks for the link, I'll check them out if the designs below don't work, but I think I've got it close to finished. I also tried to overcomplicate my personal logo and got a headache more than anything else. So, what you see below are my initials in a minimalistic(maybe?) type design. I like it enough that I think I can use it on the back of my card, centered. OR place it opposite my name and position, scaled properly.


    Edit: Changed out one image for another. Moved my portfolio link and italicized it, as well as the rest of my contact info. I think these two read much better for it too.
    Also, I plan on joining a portfolio site and have something more professional, after looking around Deviant's professional styled pages isn't gonna cut it.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%203.jpg
  • slipsius
    also, if you dont want the hassle of making your own website, you can go the artstation route. its much more professional than deviantart, and many people are using it as their portfolio these days
  • Lazerus Reborn
    Offline / Send Message
    Lazerus Reborn polycounter lvl 8
    Please drop the gradient, it makes my eyes cry.

    Look at tutorials online if you're new to this and here's more references for you to gander at: Linkage

    & more references, simpler design's

    You still need to apply some basic colour theory if you want it to 'pop' I suggest looking at (Kuler) Color CC

    2-3 MAX out of a palette

    CjEkp81.png

    This isn't exactly amazing since i've been awake for 30min's and i've got to go to work but i hope it helps.

    Font's that are 'in'
    Arvo
    Champagne & limousines
    Code Bold & Code Light
    Caviar Dreams
    Francois One

    Back of the card has white space for writing on if it's one sided.
  • Gmanx
    Offline / Send Message
    Gmanx polycounter lvl 19
    A quick word on fonts - apologies if this has already been covered - try to refrain from stretching or squashing a font (from a graphic design perspective it's bad practice). Use bold, italics, leading, kerning and other typography tools to give your wording character.

    Don't mix fonts in a single block of text (or the face of a card in this case). Try to get what you need from just one or two fonts.

    As far as design goes, you could do worse than check out sites like LLGD (Looks Like Good Design).
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Please drop the gradient, it makes my eyes cry.

    Look at tutorials online if you're new to this and here's more references for you to gander at: Linkage

    & more references, simpler design's

    You still need to apply some basic colour theory if you want it to 'pop' I suggest looking at (Kuler) Color CC

    2-3 MAX out of a palette

    CjEkp81.png

    This isn't exactly amazing since i've been awake for 30min's and i've got to go to work but i hope it helps.

    Font's that are 'in'
    Arvo
    Champagne & limousines
    Code Bold & Code Light
    Caviar Dreams
    Francois One

    Back of the card has white space for writing on if it's one sided.

    Thanks for the links and the font examples. I've been told I need to change my font but didn't know some fonts were considered "in". ha ha! I'm still blown away by the amount of help I'm receiving, compared to the other site. The backside of the card I thought about using for something but not sure what yet, maybe the QR code, or logo. I'm gonna try some of the designs you've suggested via the links you posted. I'm liking several of the "minimalistic" designs that are up as examples.
  • Deathstick
    Offline / Send Message
    Deathstick polycounter lvl 7
    I concur with the dropping teh gradients of doom. They're pretty dated for almost everything minus a very very subtle/not even noticeable gradient. Most modern design in print and web is flat design, if you wanna get fancy you can maybe try your hand at a 3D "flat" look, aka basically orthographic with solid shapes of color, but that might be too much for what you want to do. Random google search on flat design with a bit of 3D elements. https://www.google.com/search?q=flat+design+3d&biw=1440&bih=763&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OaPGVODdDMeLNuzvgIAP&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=HBl8oPAnktoDRM%253A%3BU-S8EZJcewIHqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.shutterstock.com%252Fdisplay_pic_with_logo%252F2372318%252F227734477%252Fstock-vector-flat-responsive-webdesign-d-isometric-modern-design-concept-vector-laptop-desktop-tablet-touch-227734477.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.shutterstock.com%252Fpic-227734477%252Fstock-vector-flat-responsive-webdesign-d-isometric-modern-design-concept-vector-laptop-desktop-tablet-touch.html%3B450%3B399

    The nice thing about going for a modern look is basically making it look simple, but in a good way. (Minimal FX like staying away from gradients, around two colors max, good use of spacing, using usually a sans-serif/swiss font/etc.) If you don't have a collection of design fonts like teh overused but snazzy Helvetica you could try browsing through the free ones provided by google, they tend to be better than other free fonts from a place like dafont.com

    I'm a DIN OT fan myself (portal 2 typography ftw!)

    Basically, you can't go wrong with a clean font that's not times new roman, comic sans, or Arial with two spot colors max.

    On the other side, you can go batshit grunge crazy and use ridiculously crazy fonts of doom to stay away from the corporate clean nature. Texture it up to all hell. I don't really recommend that though unless you're specifically targeting a rebel studio or you know what you're doing. If you'd like to go this route rather than flat, maybe think of some of the studios you'd love to work for and check out their websites and even box art from their games to see if you find a style that might jive with it.

    Best of luck on the cards, and remember to not overthink it/freak out about it too much :)
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Deathstick wrote: »
    I concur with the dropping teh gradients of doom. They're pretty dated for almost everything minus a very very subtle/not even noticeable gradient. Most modern design in print and web is flat design, if you wanna get fancy you can maybe try your hand at a 3D "flat" look, aka basically orthographic with solid shapes of color, but that might be too much for what you want to do. Random google search on flat design with a bit of 3D elements. https://www.google.com/search?q=flat+design+3d&biw=1440&bih=763&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OaPGVODdDMeLNuzvgIAP&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_&imgrc=HBl8oPAnktoDRM%253A%3BU-S8EZJcewIHqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimage.shutterstock.com%252Fdisplay_pic_with_logo%252F2372318%252F227734477%252Fstock-vector-flat-responsive-webdesign-d-isometric-modern-design-concept-vector-laptop-desktop-tablet-touch-227734477.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.shutterstock.com%252Fpic-227734477%252Fstock-vector-flat-responsive-webdesign-d-isometric-modern-design-concept-vector-laptop-desktop-tablet-touch.html%3B450%3B399

    The nice thing about going for a modern look is basically making it look simple, but in a good way. (Minimal FX like staying away from gradients, around two colors max, good use of spacing, using usually a sans-serif/swiss font/etc.) If you don't have a collection of design fonts like teh overused but snazzy Helvetica you could try browsing through the free ones provided by google, they tend to be better than other free fonts from a place like dafont.com

    I'm a DIN OT fan myself (portal 2 typography ftw!)

    Basically, you can't go wrong with a clean font that's not times new roman, comic sans, or Arial with two spot colors max.

    On the other side, you can go batshit grunge crazy and use ridiculously crazy fonts of doom to stay away from the corporate clean nature. Texture it up to all hell. I don't really recommend that though unless you're specifically targeting a rebel studio or you know what you're doing. If you'd like to go this route rather than flat, maybe think of some of the studios you'd love to work for and check out their websites and even box art from their games to see if you find a style that might jive with it.

    Best of luck on the cards, and remember to not overthink it/freak out about it too much :)

    Once I came to Polycount and asked questions and suggestions, I stopped freaking out about it. I've learned more on this post alone than I have than following that dreadful post on the business design forum and the responses I received that contradicted every other post. It got annoying.

    I realized while at work there is a graphic design company here in town that the local restaurant I work uses for their website, menus, etc. If the next cards I have posted are not up to snuff, I'll stop by there after work tomorrow and talk to them about a design, or modifying one of my own for improvement. I'm getting somewhere though, this latest batch I'm much happier with compared to the rest.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%204.jpg
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    Well it's getting better, but it's still not there yet.

    Some things to keep in mind

    -why is the text sometimes only 1 pixel away from a border? Why is it actually touching a border sometimes?
    -why is the text further away from the top margin than the side margins?

    I suggest you follow google's design document exactly.
    http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html#
  • bounchfx
    bottom right most one is your strongest so far IMO, but I would try sizing up your name a tad and seeing how right aligning it works out. Right now it's super left heavy visually. And as aesir says, definitely give the text more room to breathe, right now it's uncomfortably close to the side. Otherwise, nice improvements!
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    I wasn't thinking about the borders at the moment but here's an updated version of those cards. Matching borders all around.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%205.jpg
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    Top right business card - Your name and title are practically almost touching the blue border of the bar that goes across. Give it some space!

    I prefer the top left. I like that you're working with smaller text.

    I think you could add one really simple graphic element somewhere. Something small. Your card is just a little too plain as it is.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    bounchfx wrote: »
    bottom right most one is your strongest so far IMO, but I would try sizing up your name a tad and seeing how right aligning it works out. Right now it's super left heavy visually. And as aesir says, definitely give the text more room to breathe, right now it's uncomfortably close to the side. Otherwise, nice improvements!

    I just now caught your post and I'll play with your card suggestion when I get home from work. I only have a half hour on my break to play with this and this is what I came up with on the other card. I'm liking my logo idea, in my head I think it should match the font I'm using, and it's placement I think is pretty spot on, middle maybe but I'll hear back from you guys and go from there.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%206.jpg
  • Deathstick
    Offline / Send Message
    Deathstick polycounter lvl 7
    It's looking a lot better. Are you using the same for both sides?

    Currently the only technical concern I'd have for you is that blue is probably going to be impossible for someone to write over/on top of if they or you want to jot something down during a conversation.

    You can keep that dark shade of blue if that's what you want to go with, but I'd recommend having the back side white as the background. You can probably reuse your graphics on the back too with the background disabled as sort of an inverse treatment instead of having a completely blank side (you want people to know your name from both I'd say!), although you may have to either darken the colors a bit on the white side (not so much the orange probably since orange tends to read well on both light and darks since it's a very saturated color, but I have a feeling that light blue will be hard to read on white), or simply have them all the shade of dark blue you used for the front's background on the back's design elements in the foreground, if that makes sense :D

    Best of luck!
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    I went to my local graphic design company that handles my restaurant's cards, website and menus. The only thing the woman I spoke with brought up was bleed size and card size. Knowing this, I changed the dimensions on the canvas to card size for visual purposes on this forum. I will stretch out the canvas to bleed size before sending this off to have it printed. She also brought up dark ink bleeding over the thin lines on the font, if the size is too small but she thought I had it about right.

    Final%20Card%20v1.jpg
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Deathstick wrote: »
    It's looking a lot better. Are you using the same for both sides?

    Currently the only technical concern I'd have for you is that blue is probably going to be impossible for someone to write over/on top of if they or you want to jot something down during a conversation.

    You can keep that dark shade of blue if that's what you want to go with, but I'd recommend having the back side white as the background. You can probably reuse your graphics on the back too with the background disabled as sort of an inverse treatment instead of having a completely blank side (you want people to know your name from both I'd say!), although you may have to either darken the colors a bit on the white side (not so much the orange probably since orange tends to read well on both light and darks since it's a very saturated color, but I have a feeling that light blue will be hard to read on white), or simply have them all the shade of dark blue you used for the front's background on the back's design elements in the foreground, if that makes sense :D

    Best of luck!

    Talking about doing something like this! I barely got through your post and realzied just that and reversed the blues for the...ummmm...the reverse side of my card. Ha ha! I realized I gotta throw in my logo on that right side, across from my name but you get the idea.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%207.jpg
  • Eric Chadwick
    Oooh I like the latest dark blue one. Mine looks so old fashioned in comparison!

    The light blue might be too feminine. With the gold and navy text, it says "It's a baby boy!" to me, lol.
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    I feel like there's a higher bar for business cards from artists then there is for any other industry. Because you're handing out a piece of paper with your design on it to people. A print. It's one of your artworks.

    Here are some cards I just googled.

    62a609a38b3d69632d9bf0b8b4907f40.png

    WestWerks-Art-Business-Card_1.jpg

    Screen-Shot-2012-11-15-at-17.56.12.png

    93c8491a2005c62268369e6d42ef7beb.jpg

    business-cards-various-styles-48.jpg

    unique-minimalistic-business-card-kristina-gentvainyte2.jpg

    CreativeNine+Business+Cards29.jpg

    business-cards.jpg


    That last one especially I feel is gorgeous.
  • Eric Chadwick
    Be sure to test your QR code before you get it printed.

    I can only get Google Goggles to recognize a black code on a white background. It can't recognize a white code on black, nor any other code color. Same with Optical Reader for Android.
  • Lazerus Reborn
    Offline / Send Message
    Lazerus Reborn polycounter lvl 8
    Haha the eye bleeding contrast. Drop the light blue and yellows. Color blind people will love you for it. The dark scheme was working well and the simplicity was spot on, never sure of a blue/orange mix but i put that down to taste.

    What software are you using as well? I assume that it is Ai? If so, when showing graphic work, export as a png to remove the artifacts, can skew a opinion of a design.

    Personally i work with 85 x 55 mm for business cards so they can fit perfectly in a wallet. Depending on the printing service 3-5mm bleed is normal. Give me a pm if you need a hand with anything on the print prep side or if you need a hand in general. Im off tomorrow and working on some graphic work anyway so.

    Lastly, if you are uk based i'd reccomend www.print24.co.uk for printing. Double sided, 2000 cards, 350gsm glossy - £21 delivered. I've used this company for years and have never faulted them or been let down by quality/service.
  • Marshkin
    Offline / Send Message
    Marshkin polycounter lvl 9
    The light blue/orange combo hurts my eyes. I see what you were trying to do there, but remember, above all else, you want your card to be readable.
    Same goes with the thin font, as the person in the print shop pointing out, you may want to thinken up the lines.
    Also remember to ask for a printed proof before you go for the full run, the actual colors will shift dramatically when printed. Most digital print shops will do a proof for free, though if the print shop you are going through does offset printing rather then digital, you may have to pay for it.

    Can I be honest with you? You're an enviroment artist, why not have a sample of your work on the backside? A plain card with just your name is very clean looking, but also utterly forgettable. Assuming you attend something like GDC where your card will end up among many others in a person's pocket, you'll want to be able to tell what the card is selling (you!) at a glance, without having to read the title.
  • ZacD
    Offline / Send Message
    ZacD ngon master
    Artsy business cards always have a few key elements

    1. Some sort of art or design feature, normally centered or going off an edge the card. Normally you do NOT want this taking up an entire side of a card. It can be as simple as your name or a simple symbol. The clearer and the bolder, the better.

    2. Some sort of interesting material or pattern. Sometimes this is by itself on one side. Sometimes this is the main feature or point of interest, but most often it's the art/design feature.

    3. Clear, compact, and simple text for your name, job description, and necessary contact info, anything else is cut. 4 lines should be enough.

    4. High contrast in value, (your current light blue design does not have this). In print black and white can be your friend, unlike with displays. Manage your lights and darks well.

    5. Pay attention to alignment, spacing, and justification, don't just throw everything in a corner.

    Personally I hate QR codes, unless you have a really complicated website URL. If you have a complicated website URL, find out a simpler website to have your portfolio on.
  • aesir
    Offline / Send Message
    aesir polycounter lvl 18
    made this is 3 minutes

    Y0McInr.jpg

    Just goof around. Copy and paste random stuff. Be at least a little unique.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    aesir wrote: »
    made this is 3 minutes

    Y0McInr.jpg

    Just goof around. Copy and paste random stuff. Be at least a little unique.

    The reason I did the light background was for the opposite side of the card. One dark, one light. Some people prefer to write business cards for one reason or another. Dark backgrounds won't show ink very well(obviously...ha ha!).What I could do, is keep the dark side of the card, keep the light blue background and create something goofy or a piece of art that fits my style or personality. Stick with the color scheme as well.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    Haha the eye bleeding contrast. Drop the light blue and yellows. Color blind people will love you for it. The dark scheme was working well and the simplicity was spot on, never sure of a blue/orange mix but i put that down to taste.

    What softwarearrow-10x10.png are you using as well? I assume that it is Ai? If so, when showing graphic work, export as a png to remove the artifacts, can skew a opinion of a design.

    Personallyarrow-10x10.png i work with 85 x 55 mm for business cards so they can fit perfectly in a wallet. Depending on the printing service 3-5mm bleed is normal. Give me a pm if you need a hand with anything on the print prep side or if you need a hand in general. Im off tomorrow and working on some graphic work anyway so.

    Lastly, if you are uk based i'd reccomend www.print24.co.uk for printing. Double sided, 2000 cards, 350gsm glossy - £21 delivered. I've used this company for years and have never faulted them or been let down by quality/service.

    I'm using Photoshop, I'm also located in the states. I'm probably going to use VistaPrint for my business card. I work until 4pm CST. I'll contact you, if I need any help.
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    After a few minutes I put this together for the backside of my card...

    Backside%20of%20Card.jpg
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
  • Eric Chadwick
    My first thought, the honeycomb lines will make it hard to write notes. The second thought is why this pattern? Doesn't say Alex Schwartz, doesn't say Environment Artist either. I think you might be better off with the AS logo, or maybe a small pic of your best work.
  • Justin Meisse
    Offline / Send Message
    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 19
    too much focus on graphic design and less focus on your skills as an environment artist. Make a prop or carve your initials into a really nice stone texture, we've got a whole thread on rocks!

    I don't have a business card but this is something I'd use on my own:
    Mlogo01.png

    It's simplistic but also shows that "hand painted" is my specialty

    Don't show too much graphic design know-how or you'll get shanghai'd into doing UI work!
  • LRoy
    Offline / Send Message
    LRoy polycounter lvl 14
    Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it...
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    LRoy wrote: »
    Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it...

    I can probably take this as a compliment? Ha ha!

    Here's the backside of my card with my personal logo on it. I think this is THE card for me. It's improved a great deal with everyone's help on Polycount and can't thank you all enough for it. Appreciate everyone dealing with me too. Ha ha! I'm not too worried about getting creative on the backside too much, if an idea pops in my head that will work, I'll try it out and post an update here. Anyone have thoughts on where I should have these printed? Which is better? Or is it more of a personal preference?

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%207_1.jpg
  • billymcguffin
    Offline / Send Message
    billymcguffin polycounter lvl 11
    I find it difficult to read the yellow logo on the light blue background. It'd be better if there was a greater difference in value between the two.
  • huffer
    Offline / Send Message
    huffer interpolator
    I think that a complete artist should have a knowledge of graphic design, but the problem is that it takes a while to become proficient and avoid mistakes.

    If you give this card to an art director, which should know a bit on what makes something visually appealing, he'll only notice your graphic design skills, which aren't as honed as your 3D skills.

    So I'd say, in this case, keep it simple - no monogram, logo, patterns, extreme contrasts.
    Just your name and contact in a nice font, black (or dark color) on white, maybe something about your experience. And also, good graphic design takes as much time as doing 3D, maybe even more until you come up with a good idea, you can't make a background in a couple of minutes - you need dozens over dozens of iterations. It's a mastery to learn what color schemes to use, when to use gradients or drop shadows, how to align text and use graphic elements to direct the eye where you want and need.

    I would definitely integrate your art in the card, maybe a full color crop of something you made on the back. I also thing that as an artist you should at some point focus on graphic design, both in your business card or portfolio layout, this shows you know how to make something pop, but you need a couple of hundreds hours working in graphic design to realise this succesfully :)
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    huffer wrote: »
    I think that a complete artist should have a knowledge of graphic design, but the problem is that it takes a while to become proficient and avoid mistakes.

    If you give this card to an art director, which should know a bit on what makes something visually appealing, he'll only notice your graphic design skills, which aren't as honed as your 3D skills.

    So I'd say, in this case, keep it simple - no monogram, logo, patterns, extreme contrasts.
    Just your name and contact in a nice font, black (or dark color) on white, maybe something about your experience. And also, good graphic design takes as much time as doing 3D, maybe even more until you come up with a good idea, you can't make a background in a couple of minutes - you need dozens over dozens of iterations. It's a mastery to learn what color schemes to use, when to use gradients or drop shadows, how to align text and use graphic elements to direct the eye where you want and need.

    I would definitely integrate your art in the card, maybe a full color crop of something you made on the back. I also thing that as an artist you should at some point focus on graphic design, both in your business card or portfolio layout, this shows you know how to make something pop, but you need a couple of hundreds hours working in graphic design to realise this succesfully :)


    I've learned quite a bit coming through this post. I won't be able to put something together as quick as the pros but I'm happy to have help anytime. I have darkened the orange a bit and it stands out a lot more compared to the previous version.

    Here are possible backsides for my card....

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%209.jpg
  • acealmighty13
    Offline / Send Message
    acealmighty13 polycounter lvl 10
    I realized after posting this but being at work, I wasn't able to change it until now. Four years experience is correct but not with Quixel Suite due to it's age being a year, maybe a bit longer. So, I've changed the info on my card from "4 yrs exp" to "exp with". If anyone asks me, I can elaborate during a conversation.

    Grouped%20Business%20Cards%2010.jpg
1
Sign In or Register to comment.