BACKGROUND: You have already completed your final draft of the Company Logo in PhotoShop for your small business client. Now, the client would like some marketing materials so that they can begin to get their name out there. He would like you to start by designing him a Business Card and a Letterhead. HOWEVER, this is not an ordinary BUSINESS CARD. Watch this slide show presentation to see what I mean. Your customer wants you to create a little 3 1/2 by 2 inch WORK OF ART that will represent his company in the marketplace!

There has even been national media attention to this phenomena: A short news story from CBS News Sunday Morning. (this is a link to youtube.com and will not be available to students on the network, sorry...)

CREATING THE BUSINESS CARD: These cards will be used to catch the eyes of potential customers when networking and at trade shows. They would like their business cards to be very colorful and flashy! Please refer to the "Business Cards Old and New" Slideshow for ideas in the creation of your work.

All Business Cards should have the following characteristics:

1. Cards should all be TWO SIDED! Your customer is going all out, please incorporate an eyecatching design on the BACK of the business card, as well as the front! This means that you will have to create TWO canvases, one for the front of the card and one for the back!
2. Cards should be created on 4 x 7 (or 7 x 4) inch PhotoShop canvas. PLEASE NOTE that this is a DOUBLE SIZED canvas from an actual business card, to give you more room to work! You can use either a landscape or a portrait card. If you wish to use a non-standard shape or size for your business card design, that is fine. Please make sure that you include both the front and back of your design and have an actual reason for using a different size card (other than "I thought it would look cool.")
3. Be eyecatching and colorful (backgrounds and colors are up to you as the designer.). Your designs should reflect the personality and products of the company! DO NOT simply stick a photograph on the card and copy and paste the business text and say you are done, I expect you to DESIGN this card. If you are stuck, come see Mr. B. for ideas.
4. Display the company logo prominently. Make sure that your logo is NOT encased in a large WHITE BOX when you place it on your business card!
5. Include the Owner’s Name, Company Name, Business Address and Phone Number and Website Address. All of this information is seen below. DO NOT change this information in any way! If you wish, you ARE allowed to leave out some of the information, such as the owner's name. Please make sure that you include AT LEAST the business name and website address. You can use any fonts, colors, sizes that you want for the business information.

YOUR CLIENT'S ADDRESS:

Paul Burkhard, Owner

The Business Name (This should be your company name!)

1530 S College Avenue

Fort Collins, CO 80524

Phone: 970-555-1234

Website Address: www.thebusinessname.com (This should be your company name.com!)

SAMPLE CARDS FROM YEARS GONE BY: 

• Work from the Graphic Design Class of 2008-2009
• Work from the Graphic Design Class of 2007-2008

PROOFING YOUR WORK: When you have completed this project to the best of your ability, SAVE it as a PSD. Mr. B. will PROOF your work, in other words, you must present it to him for his final approval. He WILL have suggestions for changes in your designs. Follow through on these changes and you will receive a PERFECT grade on this exercise!

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK: When you have had your work proofed by Mr. B. and made all of the necessary changes, please JPG each file and put these JPGs into a folder called "lastname_business_card". Place that folder in the class DROPBOX for grading.

GRADING AND A WARNING: This will be graded very similarly to the final company logo design from Part One. If you complete this assignment and make all changes requested by the small business owner, you will likely receive 100/100 points. If you DO NOT execute the final designs as requested or do not bother to proof your work with your client before submission, you will likely receive an EXTREMELY poor grade for this part of the project.