A discussion is floating about on a list I’m subscribed to about whether it’s worth sinking a small mint into the design and printing of your business card.
A lot of people come to Design Kompany wondering if we do business cards, at which point we usually turn around and ask, well, sure, if you know your brand. So when it comes to the question, “Do I need a fancy business card?,” here’s my 2c…
5 Myths About “Good” Branding:
1. It has to be splashy.
2. It has to be sexy.
3. It can’t be too risky.
4. It should be all-encompassing.
5. It’s about getting noticed.Debunked by DK:
1. It can be subtle. If you want to be heard, whisper.
2. It can be understated. phwww.
3. It should know what it’s doing, and go out on a limb with confidence. Say it strong.
4. It should say one thing clearly and succinctly. You only get 11 seconds to make a first impression. By the time you get to sentence three, they’re gone.
5. It’s about being remembered. Who cares what it looks like if the feeling of what it was to encounter it doesn’t stick.
So, what does that mean?
Do you want to spend the money on that extra coat of varnish, if really what you’re trying to say is “less is more?” Do you want a design cluttered with facts and figures if what you really mean to convey is “we’re easy to approach”?
Someone at my talk on branding Tuesday night at Seattle Tech Startups asked, “What should we be doing as we approach our business card redesign?”
“Make a list of the things you want people to think when they see your card,” I said. “How do you want your company to be perceived?”
Start with a broad swath of words and ideas, then pare. And pare again.
Distill the message, and say it clean. –DK
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