Project SMID – Business Card & Logo Development

It’s really hard for me to grasp this concept. I can visualize how a room should be designed, know exactly how I would like a closet to look, how to stage a table or what I want on a wall but what I cannot do is wrap my head around designing a business card. Print design is another world. It is a talent that doesn’t come naturally to all designers or all creative people. How do you express who you are, what your business represents, a taste of your style and get people hooked all with one small card?

This is why I hired Alexandria Manson to help me with this very intimidating task.  Alex is a young aspiring artist who has launched her business in print design.  She is, right now and probably what should be called, a best kept secret.   Once the word gets out, and it will, she will be well-known as the “go to girl” for stylish, sophisticated, print design for any occasion. She is just an all-around cool girl.

Alex and I sat down last weekend to discuss my logo and business cards.  The first time we met, she spent time getting to know me, learning about what I felt would best describe SMID, understanding why I was starting my own business, and getting a feel for what I am passionate about, etc.  As an action item from our first meeting, I was tasked with pinning business cards that I like onto my Pinterest board so that she would be able to get a feel for what I liked.  This time, Alex presented a PP presentation.  I was very pleased that she was so professional. I was also a bit giddy about it. I have been a professional business woman in business development for 15 years. Now I am working to start my own business and I had someone presenting to me and working to help me with my passion. It is surreal in a way. I was soaking that part in…just a little.

She presented different fonts, color pallets and asked me to talk about the business card samples I pinned and what I liked about each one.  The process was intriguing. Who knew how many options were out there.  The process was also very eye opening for me. I had no idea! Alex has a very calm and soothing demeanor about her, I think if it were anyone else, I might have started to pull my hair out trying to figure out what I want to do.

I want this card to say a lot about me without overwhelming my receiver or crowding the card. I want to get people excited or hooked by handing them a business card after speaking with them about SMID even if they have not seen any of my work. I want for people to leave this card out on their desk for a few days because they love looking at it, because it’s more like a design accessory than a business card. Is that too much to ask? It might be a bit ambitious but I just don’t want this card to be an after-thought or live the rest of its life in a pile of trash. Dramatic? Ok, yes, maybe a little but it should speak to me and speak to you. My good friend, Pam, also stressed to me the other day that in an electronic world, I should really push to be more creative/innovative in this process. She is right! There is just heaps to think about.

My doodling…hoping to get somewhere.

I wanted to crumble this up and throw it out. I’m just not able to process this.

We brainstormed a bit. What do I have in every room besides a little black that I love?  Coasters, trays…I am really obsessed with both but this wasn’t helping me. I love peonies, hydrangeas, chandeliers but really? Alex felt she had enough to take the next step but I felt I was not contributing to the process as much as I should be. I know I am hiring her to do the job but, as a creative person, I am struggling with not providing more. The more I thought about this, the more I thought that I should turn to a process that really helps me wrap my head around a vision for a room or a piece. I decided, if I can story board for those situations, why not story board for my logo and business card? I did it and I feel a bit more at peace with this next step.

I focused on fonts, colors, textures and contrasts I like. This is not to translate literally into what my card should look like but it will help keep me focused on what I like.

I emailed the board to Alex, not knowing whether this would support her efforts or be completely useless to her but, I have now zeroed in on my vision for this card and my logo, which is a very satisfying feeling. At least now, when Alex presents the first round of logos and designs, I will know what I am after and can support her in this very important process. I am sharing this board now hoping that you will get excited about some of the items but I think the most interesting part will be when we can compare the board with the actual card and logo at the end of June. Can’t wait! Here is our planned schedule:

June 1: Round 1 Logo Review
June 8: Round 2 Logo Review
June 15: Round 1 Business Card Review
June 22: Round 2 Business Card Review
June 25: Business Cards To Printer! So stay Tuned!