I gotta be honest, just the other day I was questioning the validity of business cards in this digital age. Do they still serve a purpose and get the job done? I can pass or obtain an email address and store in my cell phone almost as easy as a card and then follow up with a detailed email later. I started looking around at some really creative cards and realized that the impact a great design could have on the person being given the card probably can’t be replaced by just exchanging emails. I think well designed cards (especially in the design industry) still has it’s place but I also don’t think it hurts to grab an email address at the same time. Below are some of the designs I found that made me realize that they still have a use in this digital world.

I love colorful designs but when the color combos just aren’t working it can compromise the entire site. Within two seconds I have formed an opinion and even if the layout is quite nice, I have categorized the site as bad. When that happens I don’t put as much trust on the content I read and may not stick around very long. All of this just because of the choice of colors. Below are some examples that are polar opposite from the above mentioned sites. Not only are they great but they present themselves in a unique matter as far as current trends go. Enjoy!

Fortunately I don’t end up on 404 pages very often but when I do, it’s nice to see something that had some thought put into it. Actually I’m usually just happy that a site actually has a 404 page so when a designer goes above and beyond, I think we should recognize it. Below are some great examples of what I’m talking about and if you look closely, you may notice a little self loving too (cough).

As web designers we do our best to give the user the most functional layout while trying to make it look visually stimulating. So how are your HTML email / newsletters working for you? What! You don’t use HTML in your emails. Well let’s take a look at what you’ve been missing out on.

We love sites that break away from the norm and aren’t afraid to challenge traditional navigation techniques in way of making something unique and creative. With that being said, unless you are a musician, artist, or somewhere in a creative industry, trying some of the ideas below is probably not the best idea. In most cases readability is your main goal but on the rare occasion pulling out some Flash is ok by me.

I love sites that use bigger fonts and aren’t afraid to wrap them with the < strong > tag to get the idea across. It’s in your face and and to the point and that’s how I like my fonts. Now let’s go watch some football and drink some beer. Oh sorry, big fonts bring out the “man” in me. Haha, ok not really, well maybe a little.