Whether you have an established logo and corporate image that you wish to reinforce, or are starting out afresh, having a high quality design team is a critical component in the creation of good high quality stationery.

At the very least a name and contact method (address or phone number) should go into a business card design. As for where to put this information, there are hundreds of possible arrangements, but there are a few commonly accepted guidelines for where to place the most essential information. When in doubt or when there is little time to experiment, follow these guidelines for creating a basic, serviceable, and effective business card.

Other information is optional but as a minimum the business card design should usually contain:

Descriptive. Individual's Title or some other descriptive text to indicate what the person does if it's not obvious from the business name. It is not necessary to include a complete listing of services or products on the business card. Keep it to the essentials. Use brochures and personal interviews to disclose the full range of services or products offered.

Orientation. Horizontal layouts are the most typical, most widely used format for business cards.

Name. Whether using a horizontal or vertical arrangement, the person's name or the business name is usually the most prominent text item on the card. It is usually placed in the centre or upper half of the card and emphasized with a larger or bolder font.

Contact. A way (preferably multiple ways) to contact the person — could be phone, fax, email, web page, mailing address, street address, etc. Contact information is usually placed in the lower half of the card (left, right, or centred). The preferred method of contact (such as phone number or email) is often emphasized with a larger size, bolder font, or more prominent placement.

Mini-Ad Layout. Business card layouts frequently mimic the common and successful Ogilvy ad layout formula that places the visual (logo) at the top or upper left of the card followed by the headline (name) with the signature (contact information) in the lower right.