A business card that makes you feel like a kid in a candy store.

I hate business cards.
Actually, more the people that go with them. To be more precise: the ones that can totally ruin a conversation or even an event by handing over their business card to everyone in the group, pitching their “great” product, business or idea. Some cards are high-tech, transparent or even made of wood or steel. I believe you can either spend time designing and handing out business cards, or be more remarkable in conversations, so people will remember you by your name.

Well, I changed my mind.

When I was in Dortmund last week for the e-Culture Fair (more on that later), I met an illustrator. We had a brief casual chat and were about to split when he handed me a booklet and said “pick one, choose your favorite”.
There were approximately 100 business cards in his booklet, all hand-drawn and unique. Some were colorful, others more basic. Some were abstract, others had people or objects on them. They weren’t the best, nicest or coolest business card drawings I have ever seen (@gapingvoid is and will always be the end boss of business card drawings), but they were nice and authentic. I felt like a kid in a candy store: which should I choose?

I chose one, a pretty colorful but abstract one, that was more or less representative of all the cards he had in his deck and that would support my story when I would tell others about him and his remarkable business card booklet.

Eventually he asked me why I chose this one and we chatted on for a while about how even choosing a business card gives away something about your personality. Extremely interesting.

I will never ever forget his name and never ever forget what he does. He is a remarkable guy, even in the details.

Written in 2010, left as it was.

Original: A business card that makes you feel like a kid in a candy store, 30 August 2010. Historical links may no longer work.