Business Card Design

[Machuse]

This is a design for a firm that does arbitration and dispute management for large corporations.

How do you like the logo and the general layout of the design?

The logo represents 2 entities in disagreement merging together through the efforts of JNKG(the company)


Could you give me other ideas that play on that philosophy or some guidance?

And how much you would charge

http://www.m124.net/content/jbc.gif
http://www.m124.net/content/jbcnb.gif

[Adam]

It's a little too invisible to me, I would change that :P

[wizard]

Am I missing something here cause I don't see anything?

[Adam]

Am I missing something here cause I don't see anything?
So you think it's a little too invisble too then?

[Jeff Wheeler]

I guess we all agree, he ought to drag the alpha back up :thumb: but very nice though

[Machuse]

Woops forgot to include the files, then had a problem with my server.....bump

[Jeff Wheeler]

ah I see it now! very good, but I have no idea what to charge, sorry

[wizard]

I like the second one. :thumb:
The black box adds the right amount of color to it. Nice.
I don't know what you could charge for that. :(

[.soulty]

before i comment, i would suggest making a drop shadow for the card/s , just for a mockup so i can see where the edges are, you kinda lose what the card actually looks like when you lay it out like that. (white on white)

[Machuse]

Thanks so much for the critic. How do you guys like the logo? Is their anything you would do to spruce it up or look more trendy but still keep a very profesonal edge?


I'm about to take a class but when i get home ill put up a version with a drop shadow

Thanks again for the CnC

[simplistik]

Eh.... maybe a little to plain.

Not to spectacular, I dunno how strong it is. What do the swooshes in the logo represent?

The box on the name and stuff looks like it came from a Word template. The yellowish brown on that white dissappears. Never put yellow on white w/o something supporting it. For a classier look squeese your Serif font to make it thinner, give it a "classier" feel. The JNKG part of your logo, doesn't work well, I see what you tried to do, but I think there is a better way that you can arrange that and make Kennedy tie into the logo better. Anywho, that's my .02

[Machuse]

I didnt clarify but all the yellow will be rasied gold mettalic ink so it should show up fine on the yellow.

Does anyone know more about printing options that reach a similar effect?

I see what your saying about the logo, i had lots of other variations this is the one the client liked the most, not my favorite but hey.

What would you do about suggesting another change in logo design?

And about the black....I am out of ideas, any creative shape work in the black takes away from the logo and well i guess some sort of gradient and simple line design would spruce it up but i dont know to much about pro pinting to know how it will turn out. Luckily i found a printer that will sit down and explain everhting to me...... any other ideas on the black?

[.soulty]

regarding printing issues call your printer and discuss it with them. They should be able to help you out with the specifics to get the file ready for print based on your requirement. I think the effect your looking for is called Embossing and the one in particular you want is foil-embossed.

wheres the drop shadow versions?

[Machuse]

Sorry it took me so long but i completly changed the design based on the imput by simplistik.

here is the new version.....I'm going to strech my mind and completly redo the brandmark...but it proabably wone be included in their business card
http://www.m124.net/content/jbcBLCK.jpg

[.soulty]

hold up, your going to change the branding and not put it on there business card? not a good idea dude, one of the main reasons why business cards are created are too promote a company and its branding. its up to the client in the end, but my opinion is that logos should be finalised before any promotional objects are carried out.

[Machuse]

Yes I understand what your saying but the client is in a hurry and their only getting 500 done. Maybe a few suggestions of a brandmark that would convey arbitratoin or mediation????

Really I just need to know how u like the layout of the card tho. thats the most important thing to me, I can always throw a brandmark in the right spot once the layout is right

[.soulty]

looks ok, not a fan of those intercepting rectangular boxes on the right, maybe drop those boxes and lay out the type nicely (right justified), Dispute resolutions line seems out of place. also the N in inexpensive gets lost in that curve line.

why not try to have the presidents name on the left of the card and the logo on the top right with the info on the mid and bottom right.

[Machuse]

hmmm sounds good ill try that thanks for the n.put

[Machuse]

like this??http://www.m124.net/content/jbcBLCK2.jpg

[bodyvisual]

your fonts are a bit too plain, can't say that i like them all that much. and ingeneral they are plain looking... sorry i can't offer more help than taht :(

[DariusMonsef]

If they want something temp. Look at other business cards. Your last version looked better but very plain and the ennedy thing just doesn't work.

I suggest looking at some examples and seeing what works and what doesn't on business cards.

[Machuse]

lol this design thang just isnt workin for me....im a computer science major in traing and decided to get into web design, but and then why stop their...... i see why now.

Ill give it one more shot then thats it

[DariusMonsef]

No worries, but it's important to notice where your true talents are. I see to many desighers trying to be coders and coders trying to be designers. There are plenty of great designers out there if you want to partner with one.

[.soulty]

i agree with ethan, machuse the ennedy dosent work. dont give up on it. look at some examples and keep going.

[.soulty]

here is a simple business card layout.. its almost a generic look, notice the aligned right justified type (right justified is type that is even all on the right side) This should help you along.

edit: thats not a grey border , just a mockup drop shadow.

[Machuse]

thanks for the direction soulty ill have something up in a couple of hours

[.soulty]

no worries Machuse ;)

[Machuse]

OK this takes off alot of soultys example. The logo isnt finished but thats the idea im going for right now. The layout is pretty much like soultys and ill change it and make it more original from this point. Some people made comments about the font?? i dont see how its to plain, all the business cards i saw where very simple and elegant with real small type and a fancy logo, what could be wrond with my font???

http://www.m124.net/content/jbcBLCK3.jpg

[CanadianGuy]

I'm really not digging the colours but then again it's hard to judge when you keep attaching these enormous files.

[UNFLUX]

there you go, that's MUCH better. I just read through this whole thread and saw your progressions and I have to say this last one is by far the best. The colors are fine IMO, but it's the overall layout and the watermark that makes it work. Good job, now tweak it up to perfection then you may not have to do another design for them later. =)

[Machuse]

thanks so much unflux, i will work on tweaking it up. I just looked at your site...WOW

CandianGUy lol sorry bout the large sizes. Ummm the client requested the logo and main peices be raised gold ink and they dont want to pay for a 3 color print so its gotta be gold and black. It should look good when printed, I cant really narrow down what the gold color will look like in photoshop, but its just a simulation.

[Digitalosophy]

there you go, that's MUCH better. I just read through this whole thread and saw your progressions and I have to say this last one is by far the best. The colors are fine IMO, but it's the overall layout and the watermark that makes it work. Good job, now tweak it up to perfection then you may not have to do another design for them later. =)


I agree man, just tune it up a bit. Much progress indeed. :)

[.soulty]

nice updates mate ;)

just need some sizing adjustments to some elements, for instance the type on the right might look a little better 1px size down.

Watermark may need to be a touch lighter, bottom sentence needs to be more centered as it is too close to the top edge of that black rectangle.

Logo is a big improvment, i wonder how it would look centered like in my example?

The foil-embossing should look pretty good with this, keep at it, it's almost there!
:beam:

[Machuse]

OK here is a verison with the brandmark centered and the text 1 pt smaller, I also added an underline under the name, how do u like that? Im thinking of something intersting to do with the middle whitespace.

maybe a simple block gradient from grey to white from the left side to somewhere close to center? (not sure if thats clear, ill post an example ina bit)

thanks for the encouragment from all
http://www.m124.net/content/jbcBLCK4.jpg

[lkw]

I have a feeling that your text at the bottom of the bcard might not show up too well because of the narrow font type.

[Machuse]

good suggestion, Ill ask my printer about that