Well the illustration is quite good.

But it looks more like an advert for a coffee product or cafe rather than for a design company, until you read the text.

I notice you said you'll be hanging these up in coffee shops and whatnots, do you want to attract the coffee shop customer? The students who hangout all day using free internet and sipping mocha cappucinos in their mocha coloured chinos?

The poster is ok, can't say I agree with the target audience or how the poster appears on first glance. Remember most people will glance at it and go - mmm... coffee, I'm already in a coffee shop sipping my favourite coffee.

It's a bit text heavy and if this does go to business card size, will the text still be legible in the grunge format it's in now? Will people mistake it for a business card for a coffee company?

I think it sends out mixed messages, and design should be able to take all the information and focus it into one message.

Art communicates a different message to everyone, design communicates the same message to everyone.

I'm more interested in the card. It's been a running joke here that if a logo shows what you do, you'd better not be selling underwear. LOL.

The name of your company is Java Drop Designs but you are beating people over the head showing you use a keyboard and monitor...? I think the poster design should be on the card and another method of depicting "energizing a brand" thought up.

"Caffeinate your Company" needs more energy than a starbucks-art coffee cup (with a rising sun, no less) and too many words.

Hey Batter Batter - swingggggg Batter.

Strike one.

If this graphic is about selling coffee then it's an extra base hit. I still don't know that it's about anything other than a coffee shop.




...

Where did you get the monitor & keyboard art for your business card? I have seen that exact same artwork on business cards before for IT people, etc. You would be doing yourself a favor by using original artwork.

I like the look of the poster, but I'm not sure it's effectively communicating your message. However, I do like how you take your coffee

it looks like:

- an ad for a coffee shop or other coffee type product, not a designer
- very overdone, filter-heavy and waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too grungy
- as a designer the fact you mention 'drop shadow' as a key part of your business strategy pretty much turns me off instantly. not sure how non-designers would react to that
- feels kind of generic and not really unique

i think you should reconsider how you talk about what you do. why java drop? what does your business have to do with coffee? when i think of 'caffeine' i think of a false, chemical buzz with a lot of jitters and messiness. is this the right way to talk about your work? naming the company java drop does not mean you need to ever reference coffee or caffeine in any way.

try to avoid:

tears
drop shadows
sunbursts
grunge fonts and filters

these are all getting overused and outdated.

Points for trying to be creative. Only... yeah, might sell some coffee. But I doubt if it will sell design.

And I'm restraining the urge to throw money to buy a spelling dictionary at you.

Here's five questions you need to answer:

1) Who are you trying to sell to?
2) What are you trying to say to them?
3) What do they think you're saying now?
4) What do you want them to think?
5) Why should they believe you?

Is that constructive? I hope so.