Business card design requires a very specific kind of creativity. The sweet spot between providing something memorable while maintaining a level of professionalism isn’t easy. Looking for design-first, inspiring takes to make a first and lasting impression? Here are a sampling of recent business card projects and sites that manage to do both, and at times, reach the level of high art:
1. Moo consistently brings clever promotions to the table – in promoting a new line of square business cards, they’ve taken classic characters with dual lives and give them each a promotional card: The traditional business card size gives the character’s “day job” (Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Walter White, Dr. Jekyll), while the square card provides a look for their respective secret identities (Superman, Batman, Heisenberg, Mr. Hyde).
2. Anagrama is a highly talented design firm out of Mexico and a Print favorite. Check out a gallery of 50 different business cards just for just a sampling of their excellent work.
3. For a more in depth look at one Anagrama project, check out this identity for an Romania-based art consultancy called Argo. The promotional pieces incorporate the group’s artwork, but the business cards stay clean and simple. Via Creative Boom.
4. Verena Michelitsch has worked with Sagmeister & Walsh, Pentagram and RoandCo., but has recently taken off on her own. In this identity project for Ada Blackjack, Michelitsch uses embossing to heighten the affect of a line drawing in these beautifully made promotional postcards. Via It’s Nice That.
5. From elegance, we shift to rustic and a business card promoting a saw mill. Ukraine-based Tough Slate Design takes a bold approach, with a jarring color scheme and a corroded logo that all seem to fit the mood and style of the Woodstock Saw Mill. See the entire project here. Via Looks Like Good Design.
6. Mei Yen Chua shows a business card can stand out from the crowd. The card design comes from Australian letterpress and design studio The Hungry Workshop, whose hallmarks included the rounded corners, overlapping colors and playful typography you see in this card. Get a closer look here. It’s a perfect card for creatives who want to distinguish themselves. Via The Beauty of Letterpress.
7. Ad agency Meers in Kansas City cleverly includes a editable thought bubble into their business cards, allowing them to literally speak for you. It’s a novelty that no doubt leads to a lasting impression. Via FPO.
8. Hungarian design students Nora Demeczky and Agnes Herr use stencils and paint splatters to attract interest in these business cards for Cub Animation studio.
9. Minneapolis-based designer Staci Paul created these wood-carved business cards for Carabiner Outdoor Connections that combine an stamped icon on a wood finish and, in lieu of engraving, a printed strip that works nicely with the theme. See more wood finished business cards here. Via Creative Bloq.
10. As an illustrator, a business card is an excellent excuse to show off your talent. German Torres has the good fortune of being the in-house illustrator for print shop La Trastería, which gives him the flexibility to deliver one of four business card op
tions, each showing further progress of a transformation from human to werewolf.