Hi charlie, I was just messing around, and this is what I came up with. Not saying you have to like it, but I think it is a little "classier" looking. what do you think?
I think that is much better, but I would still advocate pictures of dumpsters in the shop rather than in driveway or whatever. Also, the wording of "we will repaint your color" could use some tweaking, it just sounds funny. Maybe something like; "repaint to color of your choice". The dumpster pictures you have seem to be different colors and looks like a mistake was made, or they are different dumpsters. Just a few more thoughts. Ivan
Jenny's card is awesome! I think its many times over more professional looking than mine. The only thing that I'm not too sure about it, is that I firmly believe that a very sharp border is imperative. I envision the postcard sitting inside of a stack of mail, when there is a bright color of something sticking out from the stack, its human nature to see what it is. The biggest problem, is to have the card actually noticed and raise curiousity. When I get postcards like this in the mail, the only ones that I actually read are the ones that I can see in the stack from across the room.
Whether I use it or not, I fully intend to use Jenny's (still have to check how it looks b&w, on the back of my business cards somehow) That thing is amazingly awesome!
The pictures are indeed different containers, and although someone might think... "hey, but he didn't make THAT one look that good" At the moment, those are the only pictures I have, so thats what I have to use for the first one.
I generally don't like pictures that are taken inside of the shop. My former employer had a debate over the same thing with their brochures. Taken inside of the shop, there is too much "distraction". With the pictures taken outside, the surrounding area is much more neutral. I do fully intend to have some pictures from inside of the shop, but so far, I havn't taken a picture inside that I really liked. As I'm typing this, I realize that I have never tried to "fade out" the background of a shop picture. There could be a lot of potential in something like that.
The reason that I worded "we will repaint your color" is that I believe that it shows 'ownership' or 'personalization'. "Repaint to a color of your choice" tells me that you don't know what color my stuff is, and I actually spent a bit of time figuring out what color to paint my million dollars worth of inventory. 'Your color' just feels more personal to me. Right or wrong? dunno...
Completely agree with the wording of the "little things". The more I looked at it, the more obvious it is to me.
This card will be sent out monthly to all of the haulers in the state. At the moment, I'm thinking that the front pictures will probably rotate between a half a dozen pictures or so (one would probably be a picture of someone actually welding), but the pictures on the back will be different every time. Later 'issues' of the card, will include different size containers, including roll offs... Pictures of repairing garbage trucks themselves, etc...
What am I expecting to get from all of this? I am expecting the first card to be rapidly disposed of. (just have to ensure that it is read first) When they see the second card come, I believe they will vaguely remember getting one before. By the time the third comes, they may start getting the hint that these will keep coming.
And thats a wrap! keep the critique coming! I'm learnin' :-)
heh Its not your computer. The picture is cut off. I don't want the stamp on top of the picture, or the mailing label... and the section on the bottom is supposed to be left open :-)
Jenny could have put a little more bright on her card and still look good. I do agree with becky on what draws attention. My first thought on the first card was that some one did it at home. That is my fear any time we are designing a mailer. I never want it to look like it was made at home. My problem is that I do make them at home. I have been so busy doing stuff around here I have not put a comment on hear about this I think. Jenny told me and showed me the two cards. When put a border around a picture you put it there to bring out one or more things in the picture. It is not supposed to stop the eye but move your eye to what you want them to see. That is why I do not like the first card. So to sum up the card deal is you need to have the card with a look more like Jennys but add a little more color to appease what you had in mind. I think that the best way to get more color in the card is not with borders but to get the color from the dumpsters them selves. All that would take is better pictures. Inside, outside does not matter as long as you have what you want to show up light right and the gorrect focal length for what you are trying to acheive.
"I think that the best way to get more color in the card is not with borders but to get the color from the dumpsters them selves."
Or an example of some sort?
I do agree that it looks much more home-made than the other, but I'm not too sure that its a bad thing. I think that mine looks more like a 1/5 page block classified ad (especially with the border). On a side note, I did take the border off of the front side of the card, but more because of alignment issues than the look... But I don't mind the look.
11 comments:
this post is from jenny
I really like this one. Looks and sounds more professional.
Heather
I think that is much better, but I would still advocate pictures of dumpsters in the shop rather than in driveway or whatever. Also, the wording of "we will repaint your color" could use some tweaking, it just sounds funny. Maybe something like; "repaint to color of your choice". The dumpster pictures you have seem to be different colors and looks like a mistake was made, or they are different dumpsters. Just a few more thoughts. Ivan
Yowza!!
Here's a couple of my why's and where fors!
Jenny's card is awesome! I think its many times over more professional looking than mine. The only thing that I'm not too sure about it, is that I firmly believe that a very sharp border is imperative. I envision the postcard sitting inside of a stack of mail, when there is a bright color of something sticking out from the stack, its human nature to see what it is. The biggest problem, is to have the card actually noticed and raise curiousity. When I get postcards like this in the mail, the only ones that I actually read are the ones that I can see in the stack from across the room.
Whether I use it or not, I fully intend to use Jenny's (still have to check how it looks b&w, on the back of my business cards somehow) That thing is amazingly awesome!
The pictures are indeed different containers, and although someone might think... "hey, but he didn't make THAT one look that good" At the moment, those are the only pictures I have, so thats what I have to use for the first one.
I generally don't like pictures that are taken inside of the shop. My former employer had a debate over the same thing with their brochures. Taken inside of the shop, there is too much "distraction". With the pictures taken outside, the surrounding area is much more neutral. I do fully intend to have some pictures from inside of the shop, but so far, I havn't taken a picture inside that I really liked. As I'm typing this, I realize that I have never tried to "fade out" the background of a shop picture. There could be a lot of potential in something like that.
The reason that I worded "we will repaint your color" is that I believe that it shows 'ownership' or 'personalization'. "Repaint to a color of your choice" tells me that you don't know what color my stuff is, and I actually spent a bit of time figuring out what color to paint my million dollars worth of inventory. 'Your color' just feels more personal to me. Right or wrong? dunno...
Completely agree with the wording of the "little things". The more I looked at it, the more obvious it is to me.
This card will be sent out monthly to all of the haulers in the state. At the moment, I'm thinking that the front pictures will probably rotate between a half a dozen pictures or so (one would probably be a picture of someone actually welding), but the pictures on the back will be different every time. Later 'issues' of the card, will include different size containers, including roll offs... Pictures of repairing garbage trucks themselves, etc...
What am I expecting to get from all of this? I am expecting the first card to be rapidly disposed of. (just have to ensure that it is read first) When they see the second card come, I believe they will vaguely remember getting one before. By the time the third comes, they may start getting the hint that these will keep coming.
And thats a wrap! keep the critique coming! I'm learnin' :-)
Charlie
Oh, forgot one thing...
Jenny's card starts with "We will pick up" Mine starts with "We pick up". To me, "We will" implies that 'we could' 'we might' 'you could deliver'...
charlie, maybe it's just my computer, but when looking at the second postcard on your site, we can't view half of it
The bottom right portion is cut off for me too. Ivan
heh Its not your computer. The picture is cut off. I don't want the stamp on top of the picture, or the mailing label... and the section on the bottom is supposed to be left open :-)
Okay. I am slow. I was catching up on the blog from bottom to top. And didn't see this revised version until after my post.
Charlie, a professional card draws my attention. A bright color does not.
-b
Jenny could have put a little more bright on her card and still look good. I do agree with becky on what draws attention. My first thought on the first card was that some one did it at home. That is my fear any time we are designing a mailer. I never want it to look like it was made at home. My problem is that I do make them at home. I have been so busy doing stuff around here I have not put a comment on hear about this I think. Jenny told me and showed me the two cards. When put a border around a picture you put it there to bring out one or more things in the picture. It is not supposed to stop the eye but move your eye to what you want them to see. That is why I do not like the first card. So to sum up the card deal is you need to have the card with a look more like Jennys but add a little more color to appease what you had in mind. I think that the best way to get more color in the card is not with borders but to get the color from the dumpsters them selves. All that would take is better pictures. Inside, outside does not matter as long as you have what you want to show up light right and the gorrect focal length for what you are trying to acheive.
Care to elaborate a little on the statement,
"I think that the best way to get more color in the card is not with borders but to get the color from the dumpsters them selves."
Or an example of some sort?
I do agree that it looks much more home-made than the other, but I'm not too sure that its a bad thing. I think that mine looks more like a 1/5 page block classified ad (especially with the border). On a side note, I did take the border off of the front side of the card, but more because of alignment issues than the look... But I don't mind the look.
Charlie
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