STEP 1
Creative brief
After discussing what the client, Emma, wanted, I created a "creative brief" and sent her a copy. This was to make sure we both agreed on the motivation and aesthetics of the business card design.
STEP 2
Brainstorming
In order to fully understand the aesthetic Emma wanted, I created a Pinterest board and added her to it. Together we pinned photos we found matched the color and design elements we wanted. This helped me to not only understand what other photographers put on their business cards, but also understand the look Emma wanted for her design.
More brainstorming - Research
Now that I had some understanding of what a traditional photography business card looked like, I wanted to better understand the photography market. So, I did some research.
I looked at the Instagram profile pages of freelance photographers in Grand Rapids. I discovered that having a strong personality and voice had a strong impact in the way I viewed the photographer. The warm tone in the comments or the jokes in the body of the posts added to my own understanding of the photographer. The Instagram gallery of photos also gave me a sense of the aesthetic the photographer is drawn to.
Keeping these aspects in mind, I started to put together new ideas that would showcase Emma's personality.
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STEP 3
Initial Format Ideas
Next I started to draw out different business card designs keeping in mind the creative brief and the research I did. I thought about adding in example pictures onto the business card to exemplify Emma's stellar work. I definitely knew that Emma liked involving pictures of cameras as well as nature greens and textures.
STEP 4
Deciding on design elements
After doing some brainstorming, I landed on the color scheme and format of each of the first drafts.
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Color
For this business card, I wanted the colors to be warm, comforting, but natural. The dark green is less blunt than black, but still serves to stand out against the calm, grey toned background. The coral-like color of the text and border serve as a warm color against the green and grey-tone. It serves to add a pop of intrigue, yet fits with the other colors being derived from the stem of the plant in the photo.
Photos
In this draft, I wanted to include a picture of Emma and pictures of her work. This way possible clients will be able to get a feel for what Emma is all about. It serves a similar purpose to an Instagram account--getting to know more about the photographer and their work.
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The photos also ground the design serving as focal points. On the front of the business card, the picture of Emma grabs the attention of the viewer. On the back of the business card, the pictures guide the viewer's eyes to look first at the top left, then at the text, then the bottom right.
Color
For this second business card draft, I wanted the colors to very bright and natural. I chose the beautiful color of the sun shining through green leaves. It has a calming effect, and looks fresh, bright and new.
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Photos
I included the photo of the camera because it highlights what Emma's service is (photography) without the viewer even having to read anything on the card. I chose an older camera because I think it describes Emma's down-to-earth, calm personality and the aesthetic of her photos.
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I felt that the photo of the green leaves hold a power to ground the design and frame the focal point, the camera. They almost point into the center of the design, keying the viewer to look at the camera and the name.
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STEP 4.5
After giving Emma these drafts, she brought a new idea to the table. We both loved the new idea, so we chose this idea instead of the other two drafts.
Pictures taken by Emma that best exemplified
the tone and mood of her photography:
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The font she thought best represented her
brand image:
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Examples of what she pictured:
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Emma gave me the references above to create the new business card.
I made many different versions with each picture, but we both liked the business card below the best.
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Images
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We decided on the photo with the flowers because the vibrant, natural colors can later be used to create a letterhead and a website. Also, the flowers offer Emma the opportunity to watercolor paint flowers for other design aspects.
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The photo on the back of the business card offers a face for the business. Customers may feel more comfortable contacting Emma knowing what she looks like and what she is "all about". Also, the warm, natural light in the photo is representative of the aesthetic of Emma's photos.
Text​
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The text on the front of the business card is very bold and simple. It tells the consumer exactly what they need to know--who the photographer is and the service provided.
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The back of the business card shows all the contact information that Emma has. The top offers a phone number and email address, and the bottom shows her website and Instagram labels. A thin, black bar separates the two.
STEP 5
More feedback and editing
After sending this new draft to Emma, she had a few adjustments and suggestions.
STEP 6
Final Product
We decided "Emma Rolf" looked better in lowercase. This change adds a softer tone, matching the aesthetic of her photos and personality.
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The spacing of the word "photography" was also changed. The stretched letters as well as the spacing offers a modern look to the text.
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Lastly, the border and text on the back of the business card were changed to a lighter grey color. This also gives the business card a softer look. It is less bold and more warm and inviting.
Letterhead design
I wanted to complete creating the business card before moving onto designing the letterhead so that design aspects in the business card could be implemented in the letterhead.
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First, I did some research on letterheads. I found examples of photography businesses with their letterheads, as well as general letterhead examples. I tried to find designs that were clean and simple, since this is the style that Emma liked, and it would match her business card.
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STEP 1
Research
STEP 2
Design Elements
Thinking about the business card, I compiled the same colors, fonts, and photos that I needed to use in the letterhead.
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STEP 3
Sketches
Next, I made some sketches for the format of the design.
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I made sure that in each sketch I included the photo of the flowers "Emma Rolf photography" and the four pieces of contact information that were included on the business card. I wanted the letterhead to be minimalistic with some colorful flare.
I also needed it to look like it belonged with the business card in a set. I found this difficult because the exact format of the business card could not be replicated on a full sheet of paper. Reformatting and rearranging the design aspects without completely changing the look was my goal.
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STEP 3
Drafts
I made a few drafts based on my sketches.
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STEP 4
I ultimately wanted to make it clear to the viewer that Emma has a professional business, but she is not afraid to be her unique, bright self. I wanted to showcase her personality as well as portray the fact that she owns a legitimate business that produces stellar photos. ​
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Final Draft
Below is the final draft of the letterhead. I wanted it to have a lot of the same design elements as the business card in order for Emma's business to stay on brand and have a sense of brand identity.
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Photos
As mentioned prior, the photos used in the letterhead act as a reference to the business card. The photo of Emma gives the viewer a bright, smiling face to put to the name. The photo of the flowers offers soft light, an interesting texture, and bright colors.
Focal Point
The focal point of the letterhead is the top, specifically the "emma rolf". This text is large to draw the viewer's attention. This allows them to immediately know the name of the service. The eyes are also drawn toward the picture of Emma .
Border
I placed a border around the letterhead because it gave the same impression that the border of the business card did. It frames the section where Emma could write and contains it. The light grey color allows the border to be noticed without being too bold and distracting.
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The contact information is left out of the border because it is separate from what would be written inside the border.
Final Product
