Designing an Effective Plastic Card
Oct 9, 2013
Tips for getting the most out of your custom plastic cards with compelling design.
Designing Winning Gift Cards
Your plastic membership cards, gift cards, hotel cards, or loyalty cards give your customers convenience, easy access to your products, and compelling incentive to get involved in your discounts programs, membership offerings, promotions, and special offers.
A good product and a convenient card are key to forming an ongoing relationship with your customers. Good design is an added touch that can set your cards apart from the competition and keep your brand fresh and relevant.
Devote some times and resources to designing an effective and attractive card that will appeal to your existing customers and attract new ones. These four steps will give you helpful information to get you started.
No. 1: Create a Message.
This is the big picture step of the design process. Think about what the card will be used for, what it’s purpose is, what you want it to accomplish, and how you want your customers to use it. Get information about your target audience and what they want out of their card. Use this information to inform your design process, keeping in mind what your customer wants and what you want.
No. 2: Collect Artwork and Graphics
One of the most important functions of compelling design is catching your potential customer’s eye. You want a product that is attractive, valuable, and beautiful. Including your logo is a given, but there is plenty of space to create unique design concepts that involve your brand. Work with images that are easy for customers to recognize, printed in high resolution, and that have complementary colors.
Step 3: Double Check
Check and double check your design before you send it off to the printer. Have colleagues, friends, and associates review the design, as well. Look for flaws, and language or images that could be negatively interpreted. Someone else might notice an error or have a unique take on the design that you didn’t notice.
Step 4: Send Them to the Printer
Choose an experienced printer that can handle the volume of your order and has equipment that can deliver the quality you desire.
Your business, your brand, and your profit margin will benefit from well-designed custom plastic cards. Use the steps above to create compelling designs that help your cards stand out from the rest.
