Biz Card Ideas

[Strictly]

Hello all. I'm fairly new to the forums and I just registered a few min ago so I apologize if this is the wrong location for this topic.

I'm currently a freshman in college with my direction aimed at graphic design. I'm just finishing up my first semester now. Of course, as we all know, classes are expensive and so are books. I've been looking for a way to off set it all(besides my crummy part time job at an art supply store) so I decided I would do some basic graphic work to make the odd buck or two.

Today I started working on ideas for a name and business card. If you can please critique what I have done so far I would greatly appreciate it!

My ideas for the backs of a biz card

http://www.tpireaux.com/compiled.jpg

[tZ]

Should post this in showcase not general.

[budafist]

These look like postage stamps, not business cards.

You need more more infomation on a business card. How are people going to contact you!?

Before you embark on a business card, you should first work on concepts for a logo. Work on these in black and white so you are confident with the composition/shapes/fonts before you even begin to look at colour.

p.s. What's wrong with working at an art supply store? At least it's in the industry and I imagine the staff discount would come in handy.

[tZ]

Develop a identity then worry about the business card.

Your current designs are very cliché and unoriginal – especially your identity.

[Strictly]

Buda-

Thansk for the advice! I understand the information issue heh. I'll probably have them printed double sided and the front I have worked out already. This is simply for the backside, assuming I get a descent discout from my friends father. As for the logo design, you are probably right...I'll start working on that. ^_^

As for the job. It sucks this time of year....a whole lot of suck. However the biggest reason for me wanting to try this was to get experience. After all my homework and projects are done I find myself wanting to make more but without any direction its hard. I was hoping starting a small service would give me that directions....

TZ-

Why are they cliche? :(

I like to use few colors and I like to keep things simple. My logo design is horribad(Ive got nothin for experience there) so I understand that aspect is severely lacking.

Can you give me more reason why they suck? Is it my choice of color, typography, are they not clear enough?

[budafist]

I think tZ means they are cliche because you only illustrated the first things that came to mind. There is nothing clever or original about doing that.

When brainstorming for a logo, write down 10 things that come to mind when you think of the company name and the ethics, aesthetics etc that you want your clients to think of when they see your brand. Don't use those first 10 ideas. They are no good because they are too obvious. Now think up another 10. You might be able to use these ones. Pick a few concepts from the second batch of 10 that are interesting and develop.

[PrintDriver]

The old Catch 22. You don't have experience so you want to start a side business to get jobs to gain experience...But you don't have the design experience to do the jobs...
My head hurts.

tZ is right. Way too cliche. And cookie-cutter simple. Put the computer down and try sketching ideas. You are limiting yourself to the purely shape driven simple vectors of a program you are still learning. Sketch, scan, then figure out how to do it. Don't let your software limit your concepts.

[CkretAjint]

Business Cards with a border are a b*tch and a half to get to register correctly and be perfectly even on both sides. One side of the border will always be thicker then the other. I would shy away from them if I were you...