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The top ten business card designs

Published

From the most intricate folding cardboard and metal cards to contact details printed on balloons, the humble business card has developed into an art form in itself. With different cards out there trying to stand out and grab your attention more so than ever before, there is a run down of ten of the most must-see cards today.


The man at the desk

There is a huge array of pop-up business cards out there featuring all varieties of perforated edges and origami styled folds. This metal business card featuring a man sitting at his desk seems like just about the best in this particular category. It's the attention to the detail you really have to admire; from the legs the chair stands on to the tiny desktop lamp, a lot of though has gone into this one.
 

The divorce card

Nothing quite brings home the message that a divorce lawyer would need to of sympathy, understanding and a delicate touch like a business card that symbolically rips apart at the middle. I can only hope that the clients of this particular lawyer are in the banding of the amicable divorce cases otherwise this business card may not quite strike the right chord with it's potential client base.

 

 
The personal trainer

This may be a case where the ingenuity of the idea may have taken slight preference over the actual usability. The idea is great; the guy is a personal trainer and you get a work out, albeit a very small one, by stretching his card apart of read his info. The only problems are that, firstly, you would have to know before using it that the card was his for it to make sense before using it, and secondly, how are you supposed to write the contact number down with both hands pulling it down. Maybe this is a brain workout too in having to memorise the numberbefore letting go of the card and having to frantically scribble it down.
 
The grower

Another great design here where you plant the seeds into the business card to grow the characters hair. The only possible downside to this card is the sheer amount of time you have to wait for the full process to take place. Maybe once the recipient of the card understands what the card does, that in itself is works well enough without them needing to actually do it. But if they want to achieve the full effect of the card then they will need to have a good deal of patience to watch the design take shape.


 
The balloon


I thought this 'card' was very random until I discovered is for some kind of lung specialist. The idea is cool in having the continuity in the lung theme to using your lungs to blow up the balloon. Again though, this may be a case of the cool idea over the practicality. If someone has gone to see a lung specialist them that might indicate they have problems with their lungs? Making them them have to use their lungs to reveal the details they need seems a bit bizarre. This is a bit like make a card with details for those losing their sight have incredible small writing. Maybe this guy's clients don't have terrible lungs.. maybe they are people with abnormally powerful ultra lungs. I hope they are, because the idea behind the design is cool


 
The piercing

All the boxes seem to be ticked on this one. Developed by 'greatmindsdesign', this business card seems to have all the components needed for the perfect design. The card's trickery is immediately revealed, it's simply but cool and just works. It actually has a good usefulness element to it as well; you've got to be less likely to lose your pen on your desk if it's attached to a picture of a guy with it through his nose!


 
The perforations

The man at the desk was the king of the metal fold up card and this is surely the ultimate cardboard version. I only hope that this cards came in a series of different classic cars


 
The catapult

The fold up car business card may have possibly been beaten, or at least equaled, by this, the catapult business card. If business cards are going to sit on your desk then they may as well turn into toys to distract people around you. The way this thing folds out is really impressive and after seeing a clip of the catapult in action I can say it really does work pretty well.


 
The tooth

A really nice design here that doesn't require any folding or fancy trickery. The card is pulled out of it's wallet which removes the blemish from the tooth. It may not be as out there as some of the other designs here but it definitely ties in 100% with what it's trying to sell and the card's selling point is immediately obvious


 
The Paul Allen

Patrick Bateman certainly appreciated a fine business card when he sees one, and Paul Allen's card is the cream of the crop. That subtle off-white colouring, the tasteful thickness of it, oh my God it even has a watermark!

 

 

By Chris Fiander

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