Edit: Wait, you created both of these?

I find both to be quite dull and yawn inducing.

What is going on with the phone number's area code?

Also your font choice is just dull (and way too common).
There is not really anything good about either design. sorry.

what should i do to improve?

Don't use Brush Script for starters.

Start by checking for typos (Phone no....)

I looked up the company online. I'd stick with the established colors and logo from the website and any other printed material he may have before altering the logo and changing up colors. (Unless he wants a total redesign, in which case grayish blue probably isn't the best color.)

Nix the brush script. I realize the "gotta" is an attempt at being informal, which may or may not be a good idea based on targeted clientele. That issue aside, I don't think it's used correctly here. Even though it's just slang I think it usually substitutes for "got to" not "got a."

The second one is just way too simplistic and bare looking. The type arrangement is too scattered. I'd also reconsider using Lithos unless you're trying to conjure up images of ancient Greece.

Not to be rude, but honestly if someone gave me this business card I would find it difficult to take them seriously.

The title should probably be "Foreman" not "Foremen" (plural).

Why is the name in the first card spelled Mathhias, but in the second Matthias? That seems like a careless oversight.

The tree in the second one looks like a stickman drawing (or a deciduous version of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree), not something that you would see on a professional business card.

The layout feels off-balance and amateur. (I'd recommend some research into grids, there is some helpful information about grids posted here.)

If you have a passion for design, I am sure that you could go far with it, but it does require training. You can choose to pursue this through either a college/university program or on your own through self-study, but it's important to have an understanding of the principles of design before you start offering your services for a fee.

You might find the lessons on graphic design basics from about.com a good place to start.

A good book for beginners is Design Basics Index by Jim Krause.

I hope that helps some.

I don't know how you made it, so I don't know what made the things so grainy. Did you scan something in and use that on the card? If so, recreate them (use Illustrator if you have access to it).

After that, think about the basics. Does he have a logo or are you designing one for him (that will need to be on the business card)?
If you are designing one for him, start by getting pencil and paper and drawing at least thirty thumbnails, there can be variations on some ideas, but try to get at least ten completely different ideas. To get you started, I see some potential in the three trees on your first card, try putting them on a hill.
Once your client is happy with the logo, get your pencil and paper back out, and draw thirty possible layouts taking into consideration the Principles of Graphic Design* and the type of feel that your client is wanting to give his costumers (is it homey and loose, clean and professional, or something entirely different?). It would also be wise to get your hands on a copy of any letterheads, business cards, or other promotional material your client his used (does he have a website?) so as to make your design consistent with any themes and fonts his promotional material may contain.

I would also respectfully ask you to reconsider the intention to do freelance work until you have gotten more experience. By all means, try to get your work out there, but you'll thank yourself latter for not giving for the world to see work that is no longer up to par with your skils.

*The Principles of Graphic Design
Repetition: Repeating elements in your design, possibly with variations, so as to unify the whole (this can also manifest its self in the use of, at the most, two fonts in a design).
Alignment: Aligning elements (text, for an example) along a imaginary line, usually horizontal or vertical, so as to unify the design.
Balance: Subdivided into symmetrical and asymmetrical, a balanced design is accomplished by evening out the visual weight of elements in a design.
Contrast: High contrast adds emphasis, black on white is the highest contrast possible.
Flow: The way in which the viewers eye travels across the page by gliding from one emphasized element to another, in the USA, it is most effective to make this follow the left to right and top to bottom flow determined by how we read.
Emphasis: Using contrast or some other principle to bring attention to an element in the design, what you want to be seen first should be most emphasized, 2nd should be emphasized 2nd most, and so on.

-Fairth

I am in school and i have some yet very little experience i haven't gotten to the ps part of the course however, i figure if i just throw myself at it and keep getting people to crit my work I'll learn a little faster but i tried something a little more cartoonish

I think you need to better understand the principles that Fairth has posted above first before you try to jump into the deep end.
Sorry but there is no quick jump button in design. You do have to understand the principles first.

Googly-eyed tree FTW! That is not however an endorsement of the design. Still I've got to admit, that tree cracks me up.

Sorry to say but this new one isn't any better than the first two. The tree image looks like a piece of clip art with some circles drawn on it for eyes, very amateurish looking, plus the typography is just plain boring.

You've spelled Foreman wrong again.

It doesn't feel like you're putting much thought into this design, and the typos give the impression that you're not putting much effort into it, either.

Photoshop is just one of the tools that a designer uses; the fact that you haven't studied PS yet doesn't have that much to do with the success of your designs. It's the principles of design you're having trouble with here more than the software (though that will be important if you ever need to get the card printed).

A good design is generally not something you can churn out in a few minutes. It requires thought and planning as well as some understanding of the client's business. Honestly, have you considered the following:

- What does a tree removal service do?
- Why is there a need for this service?
- Why would someone hire a company to do this instead of doing it on their own?
- How much are they going to pay for this service?
- How do they need to feel about the company they hire?
- What makes this company different from its competitors?
- How would you describe the company's personality? (serious? professional?)
- How should the potential client to feel when they look at this card?


As far as the underlying principles go, you need to think about:

- the typography (why is the word "solution" capitalized? Why are you using that font? What does the font say about the company? Check out the thread called 23 Really Bad Font choices or the book "Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works" for an introduction to some of the basics of typography.)

- the layout (see the links I posted above regarding grids and basic design principles)

- the legibility (when this art is printed at the right size, will it be easy to read? Will some of the type be too large, too small, or otherwise difficult to read?)

- copyright (are you the creator of the images you've been posting? Do you have the right to use them? Simply finding an image on the net does not give you the rights to use it. You also should not use clip art in a company logo.)

- image resolution and usability (are you creating a file that will ultimately be usable?)

- the business aspect of design (If you are going to freelance, do you need to register as a business to sell your services? Pay taxes on your earnings? What payment methods will you accept? Etc.)


There's a lot more to being a graphic designer than putting some random type and images together or clicking buttons in your software. If this is a field that interests you, it's important that you be sure that you've got a sound understanding of the basics before attempting to sell your services.

If you are designing these cards in Photoshop, you're doing it wrong. Best to at least start out on the right foot if you are going to try...