- My grandmother shop for the holidays
and birthdays throughout the year.
On the other hand,
I am usually running around right before the holiday season,
looking for the perfect gift.
Most clients are less like my grandmother and more like me.
Rather than beginning the process in October,
I get that call in the middle of November.
How fast can you design a holiday card?
I have two options.
I can work diligently and be ready
with a solution within a week,
or I suggest we switch to a New Year's card.
And if it's too late for that
Earth Day is around the corner.
I remind them that they would need a holiday card
in September as a favor.
A holiday card doesn't need to apply
to only Christmas or Hanukkah.
I prefer to send a card on another holiday,
such as New Year's 4th of July
or Valentine's Day when it's more likely to stand out.
Holiday cards like announcements
can be designed in multiple formats or sizes.
They usually fall into the exact standard envelope sizes
to prevent additional postage costs
for odd or oversized envelopes.
The holiday card is a place
to work with those special techniques
like silver foil or gold paper.
It is not a corporate communication about rising costs.
There are online and video versions also,
but we'll focus on the printed card for now.
Some of my favorite holiday cards
work because they are clever
and feel unique to the sender.
That's the point here to design a card
that reinforces the client's personality and message.
The holiday card isn't the place
to make a full-scale promotion for a new product
or announce a recent success.
It's a personal message sent to the recipient as a friend.
And on that note,
signing the card is always better
than a pre-printed signature.
Without that human touch, it loses its connection.
If the message is about donating to a favorite charity,
focus on the life affirming aspects,
rather than the negative ones.
The holiday card shouldn't feel
overly, severe or depressing.
The Great Tibor Kalman designed a Christmas card
as a satire commenting on the ubiquitous family photo.
This was Tibor's brand of humor and it worked.
Conversely, I saw a card ones from a design agency
that I had a photo done at the Sears Portrait Studio
with the staff and Christmas hats
standing in front of a fake fireplace.
My first thought was that this was a hysterical satire,
similar to Tibor's idea.
Then I realized it was serious.
The card was not in jest.
Avoid people standing in front of a fireplace,
stay away from the Kalman Family Portrait,
unless you're incredibly funny and ironic.
Holiday cards present an excellent opportunity
to let your creativity shine,
for your client to connect with the audience
and spread goodwill.