the lonely photographer wrote:
Option 2. I like

Thanks a bunch!

cheshiredave wrote:
If I had to pick, I'd go with the first one, but honestly I would throw these out and start again if it's not too late. I think they're cheesy, both fronts and the back. It really depends what kind of clients she wants, though. If she wants budget clients, then this design will suffice. If she wants to make an impression on the higher end, I think these will work against her. Sorry, man.

Thanks!

Layla_B wrote:
I don't think these cards are that bad. I haven't looked at the google-range of cards.
But I think, no matter what profession, you want people to notice your card between a stack of other cards. So.. It has to stand out. Color is good for that, don't lose the color.
Therefore, I think #1 is way too dark. 2 is better. The back of the card is bit busy, it feels 'crowded'? You don't really want that since it is your contact info. Maybe if you lose the box and make the text black it will be better...
Good luck to Mariela with her business

Thanks!  She taught herself how to do makeup but now she just started to get her certification.  Hopefully it will be an easy ride for her :-)

Mark Salo wrote:
Well, I'm old as dirt.  Other than Facebook (which I don't use), I don't know what those other icons mean.

Ugh, that's the ONE thing I didn't agree with or come up with.  I originally had it like this when I sent it to her:


But then she told me her brother and father told her that she should use the icons.  I honestly think some people won't know what the hell the icons mean either and others that do know won't really know the proper way to search for her still.  I was vetoed.  I totally agree with you.

Zack Zoll wrote:
The problem with doing a Google search is that regardless of your skill level,most of the hits are going to be from people worse than you. I'll bet at least 10% or those cards were made by high school or low-level college students, and another 20% were made by recent grads and other people just getting into the design business.

Comparing your work to theirs is like using YouTube to find out how good of a singer you are.

Besides, you shouldn't worry about what other people in other markets do, unless it's really good. If a design blog makes a post about a business card from an MUA is Russia, you should probably look at it. But your average Russian MUA's card isn't going to tell you anything about what works for you.

A lot of them were templates and others were from professionals and non-professionals.  I'm not sure what countries they were coming from.  I just browsed through them and picked elements that made sense to me visually, knowing her and what she does and what she wanted.  The main goal was to say, hey everyone this is Mariela, she's a makeup artist, she loves makeup.  I also took into consideration business cards she showed me from professional makeup artists she has collected from makeup events she's gone to.  A lot of those makeup artists featured their faces, and even bodies which made no sense to me lol, in the front and then their information in the back.  I wish I would've taken some pics and posted them just to show you guys what those looked like.

Zack Zoll wrote:
The problem with doing a Google search is that regardless of your skill level,most of the hits are going to be from people worse than you. I'll bet at least 10% or those cards were made by high school or low-level college students, and another 20% were made by recent grads and other people just getting into the design business.

Comparing your work to theirs is like using YouTube to find out how good of a singer you are.

Basically, this. Don't look at Google to try to glean a sense of what constitutes good design. Go to a bookstore that has a design section, and you will almost certainly find a book that rounds up what they think are some of the best business card designs. Learn from those designers, not random stuff on Google.

Here's a more constructive response for you that can help you become a better designer:

1. Always keep the audience in mind. The audience here is who she wants to be hired by and for what. Her card should communicate the level of client she wants.

2. Typography: you've got handwriting, Myriad and Mistral. It takes a lot of skill to choose even one typeface, let along two plus handwriting, and make them all play together well in a tiny space like a business card. And I don't think any one of these is right. The handwriting is clunky, Mistral still looks like the 80s, and Myriad is just too office-y. Again, it really depends both on the audience and who she is. Maybe Mistral does describe her. But there are more modern script faces that can do the same. You'd probably have to pay for them, but it's worth it. Think of fonts like clothing: she probably prefers to wear something that feels like her, flatters her, and doesn't look dated. Find a typeface that does that, hopefully just one.

3. Color: like with fonts, you don't want to throw too many at once at a small design like a card. Picking just one bold color that speaks to who Mariela is would be a fine choice. Two colors, sure. Even three if they play well together.

4. Social logos: your best bet is to use monochromatic versions of each logo. Otherwise, it looks loud and garish. Also, tell her it would be good if her handles were the same for all three -- then you can be efficient in the space.

5. Layout: centering everything is the model-on-the-railroad-tracks of design: seems artistic but is way too easy and is just basically clichéd.

Hope this helps!