business card: please critique

[jmilin5931]

Ok im designing a business card for a wine company. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

[KingVance]

not enough definition between the bottles and that purple background

try making the bottles purple and the background white...use white text on the bottom and black or purple text on top

that black and purple together like that reminds me of red and black...

im just not feeling it

[peder]

It's pretty small to view, but what I think is that you have too many variations in text. The larger "WINESTUFF" in the URL probably did it. And I think it's too many bottles. Maybe think about an alternative background?

[jmilin5931]

ok I kept working on it and got here. I'm going to try changing the background to white and bottles purple too.

[KingVance]

only one row of bottles...that faint outline isnt working

[beseech wanton]

Is the .com text smaller than the www. ? Maybe it's just the WINESTUFF large type that is making it look strange..the text should all be the same size

[(gra-ph!c-D'sig-nah)]

The bottles and the background has had an earlier good point of reversing the colors....

please...please....please....I want to see it reveresed!

[WannaBrie]

I have to disagree with the majority here. I like the idea of the dark silouhette of the wine bottles and the wine colored background or maybe the wine colored silouhettes of wine bottles with a lighter colored background(grey, maybe?) ...maybe just to see the two together?? to see which looks better?? I think only one row of bottles though, the second one isn't necessary. I like the logo, the use of the corkscrew is nice. Only, I'm not so sure about using the script font with the copperplate font, something about that just doesn't seem right...maybe play with the kerning? Also, is the background a gradient that is just coming over banded or is that intentional? I'm not sure if I like the use of the tan color (although, I understand the need to highlight the owners name, etc) but try using white, black, grey and burgundy shades...Just a thought...I like the overall feel though...clean and well organized.

[activeseven]

Too many bottles....

May I ask what are you accomplishing with silouhette'ing that many bottles that you can't accomplish with just one?

[budafist]

I prefer the first one. Is there any reason why the text is in 2 colours for the second one? I would just say go for more contrast with the grey/purple.

[CamarotaDesign]

I think what is not working here the most is the typography. Fonts are too large, and not placed in the best area. I think you could make them all smaller, and place them in the purple background part. The fax and telephone need to appear together.

The owners name should have considerable contrast compared to his title, reduce "President"

I'd say reduce the size of all the text, and lose most of the uppercases, especially in the web address.

I would probably also put the Owner on the right hand side of the card, and seperate it from the title.

Here's an idea, go for a vertical card design, have the wine bottles appear on the boom and all the info above them.

[jmilin5931]

Too many bottles....

May I ask what are you accomplishing with silouhette'ing that many bottles that you can't accomplish with just one?

I'm trying to separate the top and bottom half of the card. Also it may convey the wide array of merchandise they have to choose from.

[jmilin5931]

Is the .com text smaller than the www. ? Maybe it's just the WINESTUFF large type that is making it look strange..the text should all be the same size

Its supposed to be that way to stand out. It is an online store. They dont have a storefront. The only way people can see and get the merchandise is through that website.

[jmilin5931]

I have to disagree with the majority here. I like the idea of the dark silouhette of the wine bottles and the wine colored background or maybe the wine colored silouhettes of wine bottles with a lighter colored background(grey, maybe?) ...maybe just to see the two together?? to see which looks better?? I think only one row of bottles though, the second one isn't necessary. I like the logo, the use of the corkscrew is nice. Only, I'm not so sure about using the script font with the copperplate font, something about that just doesn't seem right...maybe play with the kerning? Also, is the background a gradient that is just coming over banded or is that intentional? I'm not sure if I like the use of the tan color (although, I understand the need to highlight the owners name, etc) but try using white, black, grey and burgundy shades...Just a thought...I like the overall feel though...clean and well organized.

That purple color is their color. They wanted it on the card, thats why I had to use that color. Same with the logo, I can't change that either, thats theirs, I didn't do it. I'm going to mess with the colors tomarrow though, making the bottles purple, and leaaving the top white. The background is in 2 sections. Like a big gradient. It's also used as a line for the text to sit on on the top left.

[SurfPark]

There is something about the sans serif font I don't like. Compared to the delicate type of the logo, it looks so bulky. I would look for something a little thinner and really stick to uniform font size for this. The web address on the bottom left is bigger than the rest, for apparently no reason. If its more important than other information, it should be placed on top in a standard size.

Here is one issue I'd like for you to think about. Your bottles resemble a skyline. I'm not sure if it was intentional, but is this something you're ok with? It makes me think of wine and citylife.

Also, the beautiful letter "W" from the logo has me thinking about how elegant you could make this card. I'd look for ways to really bring out that smooth, flowing feeling. Maybe do something with those purple gradients to give it a much more curvy or wind swept feel. You want something to contrast the strict horizontal of the wine bottles.

Good luck. I'd love to see this after you tweak it.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

I like the thinking behind it - city scape by night.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it: keep the wine colour a single colour rather than the bars of different shades running across.

[jmilin5931]

a little different... I need to think of something more elegant though I think,...

[jmilin5931]

here's another idea. I like this one the best I think.

[KingVance]

youre getting closer

i dont think the leading is working with that font on your info section though

it all seems so...so...crowded

[popejoydesign]

I totally dig the wine bottles...I think it's very strong with the black bottles.
I like that you took out some of the bottles, the one thing that doesn't work for me is the thin line outside the bottles. I know it's there to keep the black from looking too much like the purple behind it. But maybe move the purple background so you get the lighter color across the entire width of the card where it meets the black.
Does that make any sense?

[jmilin5931]

little more progress..

[KingVance]

contrast is key here

if you insist on the black on deep purple...at lease use an outer glow pretty please

[jmilin5931]

and another, and again, I think its better than the last. But also think its starting to look girly. Its hard to have a purple color to work with...

[Thorn_9]

Perhaps play up the corkscrew in the logo. The design is very french bistro imo. What nationality is the wine? Use fonts/ design style from that country, or the classical era in that country. Give it history, play up the company.
You are headed in the right direction.

[jmilin5931]

They don't actually sell wine. That's why I'm getting away from the wine bottle thing too, so as not to lead people to believe they sell wine. They sell wine accessories. (Glassware, decanters, corkscrews, wine cellars, etc.) I'm not really sure what french bistro is.

[beseech wanton]

type is clostraphobic...give it some space man...also I dont think the big PH is needed drop it and work on your leading...other than that it is looking ALOT better..good job

[jmilin5931]

They wanted it lighter, and said it was too dark, and I agree. The card didnt reflect the website well enough. So I lightened it up. I'm going to try some other designs too.

[MD]

Wow this is one of those threads where you blink and it explodes. I have to say you have really come a long way from your first design. I really like your latest version, the only thing that I would change is maybe move president under his name.

The only other problem that I see is type is very small and fine, I am not sure if the dot gain will clog some of the letters. To keep the same feel maybe a fancier italic serif font would work just as well.

[CamarotaDesign]

What MD said. The type is somewhat hard to read, make sure when you print that, its in white, or a single pantone color, because color type that fine will look too muddy in a cmyk build. I might, just maybe move the "Winestuff" logo up a little bit. seems like the sub heading is a little too close.

Put president under his name, and a little smaller type size.

Its looking pretty nice now.

[carter the artist]

It is really coming along. Excellent.

I would agree with the text's integrity and try a bolder font, so that the dot gain doesn't consume the copy.

It really is looking nice, tho.

[amelia]

I'm a sucker for lightly colored BC. Why not just whiteish with a line for the stiluette in the purple. A nice undulating in thicknesses line, and then black logo and contact. The frilly contact makes me dizzy.

[cornfed]

This HAS exploded! It has really come a long ways. I agree that president needs to be dropped down. I think it should be dropped down under the name, made smaller and put in the copperplate that is in the logo. (Isn't that copperplate?)

It makes sense to me for you to move the email address over under president which would have that side take up 3 lines. The name, title and email pertain to personal stuff about Andras Bogi. The phone number and web address pertain to stuff about the company itself, not the person to whom the card belongs. I guess I'd have to see it like that to form a solid opinion on it. On the one hand, I can see wanting to single out the persons name and title, but that whole other side is getting lost with that font being on 3 lines, even if one of them is numbers. To keep it from getting to girly you could make all of the name, contact stuff, etc in copperplate. It is a more masculine font and may balance it out with all of the feminine stuff you're leaning towards right now. I don't know, it could just be that I really never have liked that swirly font.

[Samakimoto Graphics]

That last one is looking good. Very very nice.

Good idea to move away from the dark Back ground and stripes.

With the pointers on the text, this one is almost good to go.