From Marie Kondo to Google to Starbucks, brands are embracing minimalism and people are going crazy for it. So why aren’t you giving it a shot, too? Minimalist designs are a great way to help your brand:
- Look and feel trendy
- Stay potent, memorable, and relatable
- Communicate quickly and easily with current and potential clients
- Maintain a coherent and consistent identity
- Appear modern and forward-thinking
There are lots of ways to get that minimalist feel — websites, logos, packaging, product design are all good examples — but one of our favorite looks is a minimalist business card.
Your business card is there to help you make a great impression, and a minimalist design (when done right) will do exactly that. 🤓
If you’re ready to refresh your brand with a simple business card design, this article is all you need to get started. We’ll give you a quick rundown on what minimalism is, why it’s a great choice for many businesses, and how to achieve that perfect card design. So, let’s get going!
What Is a Minimalist Business Card?
Let’s get one thing straight: Minimalism DOES NOT mean boring.
Minimalist design is focused on sticking to the basics and avoiding too much fluff. It’s all about doing away with excess colors, shapes, textures, and images and focusing on what’s important. Sounds easy, right? The truth is that nailing minimalist designs takes effort and care to ensure that you get your message across.
A minimalist business card generally includes clean lines, neutral or monochromatic colors, basic textures, and limited copy/visuals. Does that mean you can’t get creative? No way! 😎
Minimalist graphic design is incredibly versatile and therefore works for a variety of businesses and industries, including:
- CEOs, CFOs, directors, founders, etc.
- Graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, etc.
- Web developers, app developers, programmers, etc.
- Fashion, makeup, beauty brands, etc.
- Wedding planners, funeral directors, florists, caterers, etc.
And many, many more…
Of course, minimalism doesn’t work for every company. However, if your current brand image, mission statement, and consumer pool favor conciseness, clarity, and impact, this design idea might be right for you.
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Suddenly, a great business card doesn’t seem so out of reach.
Why Choose a Minimalist Business Card Design?
Okay, so you think a minimalist look would work for your brand — but you’re not sold that it’s the look. Why should you opt for minimalist graphic design when there are plenty of other options out there? 🧐
Not only are minimal card designs very trendy right now, but they also offer many other additional benefits.
A professional look
Minimalist graphic design offers a simple and clean look that’s appealing to many people. A well-designed card also leaves the impression that your brand is organized, competent, straightforward, and trustworthy.
Versatility
One of the great things about minimalist designs is that they work for a wide scope of brands and industries. And like any other art form, there’s plenty of wiggle room when it comes to simple business card design — but we’ll talk more about that in the example and elements sections below. 🤓
Customer connections
A simple design can have a more universal impact, allowing clients the space to create a connection with your brand. Just think about it: if your business card shows only one way that customers can think about your brand, you’re going to lose some business. 😕 Minimalist designs are much easier to identify with and adapt to an individual’s unique outlook and experience.
Clarity
By doing away with any unnecessary design elements, the truly important things can stand out. By nature, a business card already requires a minimalist design (business cards aren’t big, after all). So, embrace that! Keep your message clear and uncluttered — and thus more impactful.
4 Elements to Consider When Creating Powerful Minimalist Business Cards
What’s the only thing that’s not minimal about a minimalist graphic design? The thought you have to put in to make the design work!
Coming up with a great card design is going to take some effort if you want to get your message across. Luckily, we’ve got a few guidelines you can follow to make the process easier. Here are four of the most important design elements to consider when creating your card.
Color
Most minimalist designs opt for neutral or soft colors that aren’t loud or overbearing. Black, white, gray, and pastels are some of the most popular options. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little creative — remember, this is a versatile design trend! 🤗 While exciting, garish hues aren’t normally a minimalist color (think bright red, bold pink, electric blue), that doesn’t mean they’re entirely off-limits.
Our tips:
- Avoid contrasting colors — go complementary instead.
- Stick to two to three colors at the most.
- Remember that neutrals are your friend.
Typography
Minimalist card designs mean that your words have nowhere to hide. That means choosing the right font is important — we’re talking remembering-your-anniversary important. Lots of minimalist business cards opt for muted sans serif fonts, but don’t feel confined to that style! When used correctly, script, serif fonts, and other maximalist types can still feel at home on a simple business card design.
Our tips:
- Use luxurious fonts in moderation.
- Balance fancy styles with simple types.
- Consider font layout, weight, and color.
White space
Negative space is one of the most important elements of minimalism. Increasing the negative space around an element — such as your logo or name — will help that element stand out and make it seem more important.
Our tips:
- Increase negative space to accentuate an element.
- Use negative space to jot down a note, draw a picture, or otherwise personalize your card for a potential customer.
Feel
Unlike a text message or website, business cards are a tactile experience. So why not make them even more exciting? Adding an extra element like texture or a different card shape can elevate your minimalist business card design and make you stand out.
Our tips:
- Experiment with embossing or debossing.
- Opt for alternative card materials like wood, plastic, or textured paper.
- Skip the rectangle and choose a square, circle, or die-cut card.
Have a great design idea but aren’t sure how to execute it?
Our Epiic designers would love to help.
A Few Favorites: 4 Noteworthy Minimalist Card Design Ideas
Are there many great minimalist business cards floating around the web? You better believe it! But we decided to keep our list to a — ahem — minimum.
Here are some great design ideas and an example for each to help inspire you.
Example 1: A lovely layout
Here’s an example that includes all the essentials on the front — plus a little bonus quote on the back. We love how the layout gives the logo plenty of white space and makes it stand out.
We’re also fans of the simple monochrome color scheme and the sophisticated black background.
Example 2: Texture and color
A beautiful pastel pink adds some interest to this simple business card design, creating a soft, clean, and appealing card. The subtle texture helps make this example shine, and we also like how the horizontals carry over from front to back to tie things together.
Example 3: Prominent logo
A fancy font? On a minimalist card? You bet! In this example, the lovely script type adds style and helps ensure the logo stands out, as does the ample amount of white space on the front side.
We also like the functional grid pattern on the back that helps organize all the contact info.
Example 4: Powerful horizontals
Here’s a great example of a strong, uncluttered design that uses a powerful monochrome color scheme to make a statement. We like how the horizontal alignment enhances the layout and keeps things from getting cluttered.
Investing in professionally designed graphics is a great idea.
Especially when they’re so affordable.
Maximum Impact, Minimal Look
There’s a lot to look at in this world, so it can be refreshing to — well — not have to look at a lot. Minimalist designs are a great way to appeal to harried, overwhelmed clients and get your brand noticed.
We hope that these examples and tips have helped to inspire you to get out there and create a fabulous business card! Oh, and don’t worry about thanking us for introducing you to minimalism.
It’s the least we could do! 😉
All business cards should contain the basics: name, job, contact info. When it comes to minimal cards, though, you’ll want to ensure that you only include the necessities — and only the necessities.
Try to avoid loud colors, patterns, images, and other superfluous design elements.
It depends on your business. Some brands (i.e., Apple, Headspace, etc.) lend themselves well to a minimal design style. Other brands are better suited to loud, bold, and energetic designs.
Mar 22, 2022
Rebecca
A copywriter with hundreds of projects under her (figurative) belt, Beka enjoys the challenge of crafting unique content. She loves writing just as some people love trolling online message boards :) — in an unabashedly enthusiastic and slightly concerning way.