Business card encore
mara06 (2548 pencils) | Sat, 2011-11-26 18:39
And now for something completely different (thanks Greg). It's....
A two-sided business card printed with Pantone Warm Gray #7 and 8282 on True White 100# French Speckletone Cover. The 10 pt. ring where the words "custom design and printing" appear would be debossed on the front (and, naturally, embossed on the back—that's attached, but you have to go to the trouble of clicking on the jpg link).
Again, this is for my own business. It's a departure from the haggard look of my old website and the cards I tried to design to work with that site. The new site will be clean like this, incorporating this color scheme. (I think.)
In both media, I want to retain elements of tradition because my market is conservative that way, even though I do get lots of clients in high-tech industries looking for something fresh, but not stupid, if you know what I mean. (My main competition seems to specialize in stupid, so this is a selling point for me.)
The card displays a number of subtle design features—the deboss/emboss, earthy stock and screens/100% of just two colors—to serve as a little creativity primer or conversation starter for potential clients, while expressing something of the emphasis on nature that is the hallmark of life in this part of rural Virginia, where the next thing you see out the window of your pickup truck, after passing the organically grown country club, is likely to be a thoroughbred horse.
Have I succeeded this time? Be boldly candid, as usual. :)
Mara
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better. but not in the right way.
looks very much like a civic organization. especially with that emboss / deboss stampy thing. or maybe like a commercial real estate company or something. YAWN.
i like your little catchphrase thing. but i dont care for how its presented. to me it reads like a list of ideas rather than a cohesive concept.
i say scrap this and try again.
another thing i dont care for is the overly self-conscious display font for the WG in your stamp. i say hand write, scan and trace something rather than using an off the shelf display face.
Look at it from distance. Does this strike you as graphically interesting? While shuffling through your pile of business cards, does this catch your attention, or tell you it's about a design service? Had you been looking for a graphic design-related card, is this what you would expect to be looking for?
For me it screams "nooo, don't look at me", hiding on a white surface with its ghostly graphics, concealing everything a potential customer is looking for.
Right now it's insecure and uninteresting.
I think it might get hard to read being so light for those with vision impairments.
How many fonts do you want to throw at it? I'd like to see a more tight design. I live for 'bug' marks but the one you have is incidental to the logo. Two different font sizes for logo?! Very dated font besides. I don't want to micro-manage your design style but I'm not feeling any element tying together.
Without my sense of direction, I don't know where I'd be.
Warrenton. Say that out loud. WARRENTON! Feels very English Aristocracy doesn't it? It's the name of the country club that requires a member invite to join. The gated community that has it's own 24/7 security guards. It's privileged. It's exclusive. It's the 1%, no doubt about it.
Now, you may like that. You may not. Personally, I couldn't give a crap. The name of your company demands a visual treatment which reflects the feel of the name. To do otherwise would be like typesetting "YOU ARE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!" in all-cap Helvetica extra bold in puke green. It creates a dissonance which rattles the brain of the viewer.
WARRENTON! What exactly does that look like? Once you find out, then you have the point from which all other elements will be constructed.
Without my sense of direction, I don't know where I'd be.
I totally agree with your first comment about the "tight"ness.
However, if you've ever been to rural Virginia (where Mara is) and then overlaid the name Warrenton, I doubt you'd still be picturing teacups and english gardens. I'm willing to bet the locals pronounce it "Warren-town" with a big fat rolled out w in 'town'. They're "out of the woods", but only just, and they often still have some cousins still in the back-woods, if you know what I mean. I'm guessing she's just trying not to scare anyone off, and make them feel like they can expect something they can relate to.
Think beautiful forests and hills and lots of calico and checkered patterns and wooden furniture. (kinda missing good ole' VA right now) :). A softer hand is most likely more in sync with her community, which is obviously what she was going for.
Mara.. I agree with ditching the script "WG" inside the emblem - you're not a founding father - and personally think the emblem in general is a step away from your goal. My humble suggestion: stick with the soft color palette and engaging paper choices, but push the actual composition to a more dynamic and fresh look. Once you've nailed the typography, the mark will practically draw itself, if you even need one at that point. And don't be afraid to use actual symbology from the area (leaves, trees, quaint town, etc)... just give them a unique twist and don't be "stupid" with them :) lol.
Also, 100% agree about changing the line breaks on your statement, so that it reads better.
Looking forward to the next one! :)
From success to failure is one step. From failure to success is a long road.
Ha ha Liorah, we pronounce it "Wahrn-tn."
We're not just out of the woods. Most of us are fresh from the State Department (can't swing a dead cat without hitting ex-foreign service folk and spies, for some reason), or Hollywood (Bob Duvall), or the New York Times Best Seller List (too many of those to think about, let alone list), or some scandal (most recently Tareq & Michaele Salahi), or the hunt. Now that's not the kind of hunt involving NRA bumper stickers. It's the hunt that costs several million dollars just to show up, assuming you're invited, never mind the cost of the hunt breakfast it will be your pleasure to host at your place next time. By the way, only the help wears calico, and we would rather not talk about it where they might overhear.
Our cousins, some of them, are actually royalty somewhere else (Lisa Halaby, a.k.a. Queen Noor of Jordan and one or two others whose names have slipped my mind) or have art galleries on the National Mall named after them (Mellon, Watkins, Freer, Corcoran and so on). People still talk about how Jackie (you know the one) dutifully filled out a credit application at the Orlean Market when she stopped to pick up a few things one day and of course had no money, all because the young girl behind the counter didn't recognize her and Jackie didn't want to embarrass her in front of other customers.
Speaking of recognition, we are always cordial to strangers ambling down Main Street in filthy overalls and ratty barn coats because even though it's a smallish community, you can't know everyone, and they're as likely to be millionaires as beggars. If the former, well, you don't want to be thought rude by someone you might soon meet at a party, all spiffed up and ready to amuse himself by testing your memory. If the latter, we pride ourselves on being gracious to those less fortunate; in fact, we have a very nice homeless shelter, right across the street from the old cemetery where Col. Mosby is buried. It has a white picket fence around it so people can bring their dogs and let them romp outside while they go about finding some sort of job, or whatever it is homeless people do all day.
You've been a great audience, thank you! I'll be here all week, two shows a night. Tell your friends!
***********************
Sorry about that flight of fancy, y'all. Couldn't resist taking the bait! :)
Mara
LOL Mara. Didn't mean to sound judgy!! :)
I assume your "small town" is in NOVA?
I went to VT - out there, the little towns are more like the one I described than yours. Well, at least they were until they were overridden by hipster/punk college kids. :)
(and the 'calico and checkered patterns' might have been a bit of stereotyping... )
From success to failure is one step. From failure to success is a long road.
No, not NOVA! Heaven forfend! We're farther west, and doing everything in our power to stay beautiful. Almost half the county's land has been placed in conservation easement by its owners to prevent unwanted NOVA-like development.
Even though I was being silly, I think I captured the essence of what I'm up against here.
Mara
Great feedback, guys. Disappointing, but helpful.
Warrenton and the surrounding countryside does have its monied class, but it's also a community of very hard-working people in a huge variety of endeavors from banker to burger-flipper with an auto-detailing business on the side. All of them are potential clients.
Two things that draw everyone together here are a love for the natural beauty of our area and its history. Because of this, a huge percentage of local businesses play up those things to the point of its having become a cliché. Should I try to top them by reinventing the cliché, break away entirely, or marry the extremes without (as I've apparently done here) winding up with meaningless mush?
Maybe I should forget trying to define my business ENVIRONMENT and instead, define my BUSINESS (design and printing).
This is the toughest design job I've ever had!!!
Mara
As designers when we work for ourselves the problem is we tighten up and don't let the creativity flow naturally like we do with other clients. I see your idea here - I'm not as adverse to this design as the others. The deboss/emboss could work - but you threw WAY too many ideas at it. I like the WG initials font. That's what should be emphasized imho - large WG with very small, classy "Custom Design and Printing" in small san serif around the edges. Maybe the "established" thing on the ring too - separated by bullets or something. No shading in the center or ragged edges - clean, sharp and designed. The idea is there, but it's obvious you were trying too hard to impress. Know what I'm saying?
Then pick a better font for your company info. The only person who likes all lower case is WGZN (oh no... cheap shot!) And get rid of the backside altogether. The "more on back" thing is silly. The "tradition" line is a throwaway imo - but if you want it - put it under the company name in a super small point size.
Upon further review, I wouldn't mind seeing the font from your first try in this design. The font you used for the company name in the two-color card. Maybe a lighter weight for your name, address, etc...
I like the deconstruction process xD
and obvious You need to deconstruct more and more
yes I'm brazilian xD
LOL Deconstruct or just plain destruct? I'm feeling really destructive right now xD
Mara