ZoomConcept Reviews
Minor Problem on Dark Version - Original 1 the dipping numbers seem out of place for this style. Critical Problem Needs more interesting layout
Front & Back: I would suggest moving the center off center, like in the bottom right corner. Try using rule of thirds or the golden spiral for positioning. This would make for a more interesting composition.-
Sarah Kettell commented:Hmmm. Interesting idea. I'll have to try it and see what it looks like.
Positive Feature Harsh blues
I like the shades of blue but its a bit loud. Try using a beige or egg white in one of the rings. Try adding a little texture to it to soften things up.-
Sarah Kettell commented:
I was aiming to match my portfolio with this, which uses no texture and sharp colours (the exact ones, actually). It's all a mix of dark and light greys and hues of blue. I'm a bit hesitant about straying from my colour scheme that I did for my own branding. But I do understand where you're coming from.
Font Sizes
You should try to match the sub-header and the contact info for cleaner look.-
Sarah Kettell commented:
I actually did. :) It's the exact same font. The only difference is that it apparently changes when you don't use all caps. I was hoping to stay away from all caps for the contact info, though. So I may have to pick a non-matching one that is similar.
Summary:
I certainly dig the "SK" It could probably use some more tweaking though. I like where you are going with this. It's like "POW" in your face. With more attention, this can really come out great.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thanks! That's totally what I'm going for. :)
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Added a new version!
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Summary:
Loads of character, and clear communication. You're hired!
Take all these comments w/ grains of salt. For work this good, one needs to get picky to find anything that might-oughtta-get changed.
I like the lighter one better than the darker one. The grey "SK-circle" on the back of the dark one bugs me a bit; similarly, the blue SK-circle on the back of the light one bugs me, but a bit less. I think it's the shade of grey. Try it one bit lighter (on the dark one), for more contrast.
Have you considered reversing the order of the "website" and "portfolio" on the back? The lines are short-long-short-long, you might get a better shape of you go short-long-long-short.
Looking at the typographical choices. You've paired two sans-es, a very warm humanist with something still quite humanist but more geometric. Were they designed to go together? They seem to work, but I worry that you might have something of a conflict-of-similarity thing going on here. Especially since your SK-circle letters have a hand-drawn sans-y-ness to them. But this is by far the waaaay-pickiest of my comments. The combo seems to work.
Good job.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thank you for your feedback, and for the wonderful compliment on how much you like the work. :)
I actually had the same hesitation about the colour of the logo on the back of the card, especially the grey one. My standard logo that includes text is that exact shade of grey, which looks wonderful on the website. But, when placed with so much blue on the card, it seems out of place. I have 8 different colours/hues that go with my brand identity, so I can try playing around with them to see if I can find a better match.
I thought the same about the order of the website and portfolio, because of the lengths. However, when switched, the diagonal line it forms on the right is too drastic and looks out of place with the gentle curve around the edge. Leaving it in that order kind of creates a slight hint of a curve in the text shape, without making it look too prominent or intended.
Also, since this is my personal business card, I like having my portfolio listed first, as it's more important than my website for clients to see. :)
As for the typefaces chosen..It's actually only two, apart from the SK circle, which is loosely based off of one but very customized. The "Sarah Kettell" is it's own font, while the subtitle and contact info is all the same font. Apparently it looks drastically different when not all caps, though, so no one seems to realize this. That's why they do compliment each other, though. :)
I'm thinking of changing the contact info font to something that doesn't have numbers like that one, though. Or at least change the numbers themselves.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Added a new version!
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Amado Ohland commented:The numbers thing that you're looking at is the difference between "old style numerals" (like you had before, using ascender and descender space) and "lining numerals" (like you have in your new cards). Personally, I have a yen for old style, but that's strictly a preference thing.
But selecting between old style and lining numerals should be an Open Type feature of your font, if it's a fully-featured one. Look around for such a feature. If not, you should be able to find a version of the font that has lining numerals in it instead. Just so as they match.
Cheers!
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thank you so much! I knew about OpenType fonts, but never realized how to change those things in PhotoShop. After you said that, I did some Googling and poking around, and found how to do it. :) Thank you.
It does look much better with the proper font in the "lining numerals." Still undecided, though, which I like better. The clean look of the lined ones verses that old style is nice and probably matches better, but the old style does have a charm.
I guess I'll have to just stare at them both and make a decision. lol :)
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Positive Feature Love the shades of blue and the choices of typefaces. New Idea Using an off-white or off-black instead of just regular black and white might be something worth trying out. -
Sarah Kettell commented:
It's actually a very dark grey, which is the background to the website. (#121212) When compared to black, there's a significant difference, but seen on it's own, it does look black. I could try going a bit lighter, though. As for the off white, I found the white looked the crispest of the alternatives I tried. A light grey looked odd, but a very light blue might be okay. Thanks for the suggestion.
Summary:
I'm liking the general direction of your overall identity, I'm sure with a few minor adjustments this card can look more harmonious.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thanks! :)
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Added a new version!
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Minor Problem on Light Version - Original 1 The blue behind the letter mark does not look related to the other colors. Consider changing it to either the blue used in the outer circle and your name, or light the gray used in the text. -
Sarah Kettell commented:
It's one of the hues used in my personal brand and on the website. The problem I ran into was that the grey used on the dark card looked too harsh on this one, and the blue seemed to blend in too much because it was used in so many places -- not enough contrast. I'm working on a version with a lighter grey, though, which I think looks better.
Serious Problem on Dark Version - Original 1 The blue/cyan in the dark version is a bit overwhelming when viewed on screen, especially on the front side. Consider making the outer area a shade of the blue/cyan. I'm thinking in terms of adding 10% black. This will have the added benefit of making the central area really pop. Then too, this may not be as much of an issue when printed. -
Sarah Kettell commented:
I decided to try changing the outer colour of the dark one to one of my hues that is slightly darker and actually love it much more, so thank you! :)
2 I would suggest aligning your contact details with the left edge of your name and tag line. This will create white space under your logo mark which will raise it in the visual hierarchy and add some dynamic tension to the layout. This suggestion is for both versions. -
Sarah Kettell commented:
I understand what you mean, but I'm a little worried that it will make the text much smaller and harder to read when printed. I'm working on realigning it in a different way, though, and will add new versions soon.
Summary:
Your logo is looking great! In my opinion have achieved a clean, professional, creative logo.
I think you are better off not creating two versions of the card. Choose your best one and use it. The people who receive the card will not know about the light and dark themes on your site, nor will they receive both versions to understand the light/dark connection. Communicate everything that needs to be communicated in a single card.
I am attaching a rough version that shows some of the changes I have suggested.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thank you! :)
I understand your thoughts on only one version of the card. One of the main things I've noticed from showing this to a bunch of people, though, is that I'm getting about equal preference to the dark as I am to the light versions.
Some suggest the white version is more friendly and inviting, while others seem to think the dark is more appealing and professional. A lot of designers seem to be doing multiple card designs nowadays, too.
Honestly, I think it's just kinda fun to use both. As you said, most people will not see both versions, so it's not like it can really cause negative response. :)
I'll reply to the comments you left directly. And thank you for putting in the extra effort to make the rough version!
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Added a new version. :)
Changed the colours of what you suggested, and changed the contact info alignment a bit. Instead of pushing it off to the side, though, I made it so the logo mark is aligned with the titles. It looks a bit more clean this way, I think.
Pushing it off to the side was going to make it harder to read because of size reduction. But it was a cool idea!
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Tim Sullivan commented:Yes, I think both versions are stronger with your revisions.
If I may weigh in on the question of old-style vs lining numerals... I personally liked the the old-style numerals. To me, they are more personal and add a touch of warmth. On the other hand, the lining numerals are probably more contemporary in appearance. I don't think one is more correct than the other. It's just a question of what you want to convey.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
I found the matching lining numerals for that font, which does look a bit better. So I'll update the images on here with that version.
I'm honestly torn too. I love both looks, but figured the lined ones would be more legible and match better. Just not sure.
But thank you for the continued feedback! It's appreciated. :)
Attached Files:
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Summary:
I love it. I really like the colors you chose and the text. It's funky, cool, and attention grabbing. Nice work! The only thing I notice is that the K on the front of the card has more of a funky casual feel and your name "Sarah Kettell" has more of an elegant feel. I'd stick with a more funky and casual font.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Hey, thanks for the feedback! :)
Ironically, I had tried out several funky fonts with the logo mark when I was designing it, and that one was the most accepted and preferred by anyone I showed, in comparison. It's only in this setting, with such a bold back to the card, that the font seems to stand out as different. Any other situation, like on the website it seems to work.
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Positive Feature on Light Version - Original 1 Great font. Very playfull 2 Love it Summary:
Very nice design. I like the light version best because it stands out more. I love the coloring and font in the logo. Maybe only the contact details in a less playfull font or a little smaller. The logo looks so simple and powerfull, nice job!
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Thanks! :)
Yeah, I was unsure about the contact details font as well. It's actually the same as the tagline for the logo, but looks so much different when you don't use all caps. I'll play around with some others.
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Sarah Kettell commented:
Added a new version with a different font for the numbers, so it looks less playful. :)
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Positive Feature Very eye catching
Something we remember well because it's seamless which is one of the most important pointPositive Feature Unique
I like the design as it is unique and well done.Summary:
Is this something that represents you? Sorry to ask but I think authenticity it's an important factor in choosing a designer. So I am just curios to know if this is really you.... the fonts, the circles, the colors etc.
Positive Feature Fun Design
I like the direction overall.Other on Light Version - Revised 1 First off I'm wondering about the overall dimensions. Are you going for something non-standard intentionally where the printer will be cutting down to a non-standard size. Standard US size is 3.5" x 2". If you are that is fine, I just wanted to make sure that the dimensions shown were intentional. When dealing with graphics this size there's not much room for error especially with final cut size. It could really change the feel of your design if this were cut to a standard business card size. 2 With the overall look of this it has a really nice fun feel. But in opposition to that feel, the layout of the contact information, feels quite formal and stayed. I'd try something a little different here as well. I think someone else mentioned an off-center treatment for your personal information and I agree that it would be an improvement. In addition the contact text seems a bit large. Reducing it would enable you to try something a little more off-kilter. I could see your contact info on the front of the card in one of the rings around your logo mark. It would have to stay subtle so that it wouldn't become too busy but it could work. In addition your overall design is strong enough that you could incorporate one of the new smart barcodes that people can scan with their phone to access and save your info. Summary:
Again, an overall nice start. My main thought here is push the limits a little more. It never hurts to try a few more versions. You may end up back very close to where you are now, but it will most likely have improved some.
Agreed. I wasn't too happy when I saw the font do that, but thought I'd get other opinions about it. It seems a bit too messy for a business card like this.