look & feel update

Morning,

I am currently trying to create an update of the visuals I use for my business. Thats mainly the colors, but probably update to graphics as well. At the bottom I attached the business cards I used during the last 6 years and 2 potential new ones (left one is oldest). I used the idea for the new colors incl. the lemon at test.herling.com where you can see how things could look like besides the business card (I probably watched too many Austin Powers movies recently).

Main purpose is to make things look a bit fresher while I get older =)

Although during playing with Xara the lemon is my favourite, I would like to preserve the maple. The only idea so far to get both was to apply a clipview on the lemon which is not too convincing.

Regarding fonts I used the free Silkscreen for "herling.com" and Fago for the text on the business cards.

Any opinions or ideas on the new looks ?

Juergen

Hello Jeurgen

I like the second card (your current card) better than the two new designs.

It is clean and contemporary. The rectangle on the top of the two new cards to my eye is more old fashioned.

I would try some different type designs with your current card.

Gary

Gary,

I've read many of your posts obviously since starting to explore Xara, as you and others contribute greatly here. I have a question- it's really about design not xara, as this topic is covering.

You mentioned the rectangle looking a little old fashioned. That the current design looks clean and current. It really is a science and art to find out what is current, what is "clean", as probably that rectangle was "clean" 5 years ago! :-)

Where can I learn about trends, and what the cutting edge of clean design is on the web? I want to get a better handle on words and what they mean, trends and why things are trending that way, and generally, get some insight and empirical discourse on what is next in design.

I guess I just want to get a baseline, having had a music degree not a design degree... :o