Business cards. Paper or digital?
As I go around meeting people one of the first things that are swapped after the hello part is the business card. I do it as well. The business card is meant to represent you. How good is your business card? Is everyone able to read your card and be able to contact you? Is it a good communication tool for your business?
Good?
So, what makes a good business card? The information is clear and concise. The layout is clean, with proper spacing between elements to avoid a cluttered look. The fonts are simple. The design reflects the branding. The card should be visually appealing and not overcrowded. The material that the card is printed on is thinker and more durable and fit into a wallet. The contact information is correct and complete.
Bad?
So, what is a bad business card? It is cluttered and uses fonts that are hard to read. There is not much contrast between the different sections. That is, the difference between colours on the business card is not large enough to allow people to be able to tell them apart. There is incorrect information. It looks amateurish. Or there might be too many special effects used on the card. There is not enough white space, or it is too complicated.
Accessible?
What makes an accessible business card? There are a few important features to consider. Number 1, font size should be a minimum of 12 pixels. Anything smaller can be unreadable. Now let’s look at the choice of font. Use Sans Serif only. When choosing a font choose a font where the difference between capital I, lowercase l and the number one is obvious. Fonts should have an open face. Circles should be a reasonable size. Contrast between background and foreground should be a minimum of 4.5:1. Find a colour contrast analyser on the internet to ensure that this rule is met. Don’t have a cluttered layout.
Use white space. Use clear headings. Consider adding braille for the vision impaired. Include as many methods of contacting you as possible. This allows people who can’t use one method another way of contacting you. Don’t use many special effects. Left align the text. Do not justify text. Use simple plain language. Add a QR code as another method of contacting you.
Digital?
Another form of business card that is useful is the digital business card. Why? It is accessible to everyone. The same information can be on the digital card, and it is accessible for many people as long as digital accessibility is added to the card. The digital card can be set up to send you and the new contact an email.
Business Cards – Paper or Digital?
So when is a reasonable adjustment considered unreasonable? There are 5 reasons that can cause an adjustment to be considered unreasonable.Which is better, the digital or paper business card. The paper card is tangible and accessible to many people. It is a physical reminder to contact the person. It is widely accepted and doesn’t rely on technology. There are people who do not use technology and prefer paper. It is a more personal form of contact.
The digital business card is environmentally friendly. Updating contact details is quick and easy. It is accessible for everyone. If set up correctly, the digital business card can add reminders to contact people.
Final Thoughts
Business Cards, paper or digital?
There is a place for both forms of business card. Now for me paper business cards are not useful. I can’t read them as I have a severe vision impairment. However, I do have tools that allow me to read the information if people provide paper formats. Add a digital business card and I can access your information easily. My mother is not a person who uses digital technology. For her,
the paper business card is better.