sugabelly’s Neighborhood

Freelance life can be tough. Long gaps between commissions. Accounts departments who just can't seem to find your invoice. Not to mention the ever-present need to get your work seen by the people who count.

Jonny Wan, a freelance illustrator from Sheffield, knows all about that. A graduate of the Manchester School of Art, he's constantly striving to ensure his unique illustrative style (think abstracted facial expressions, patterns, symmetry and hand-drawn lettering) snags the attention of creative directors everywhere – and he does so via Business Cards and Postcards from MOO.

MOO first caught his eye at his university degree show, where he noticed that all the students' cutest promo materials were produced by the same company – MOO! Then we tempted him with a free Business Card sample, giving him a chance to try our ordering software ("simple, logical and gives the user complete control") and evaluate our print quality and finishing ("very pleasing"). Duly hooked, Jonny ordered a set of Postcards and some Business Cards featuring a range of his work, and is preparing to send them off to art directors as we speak.

As an illustrator, working in a visual medium, presentation is very important to Jonny. "I like to make little promotional packs of my postcards and business cards", he says. "I send them out packaged in self-seal clear bags. It's good to put real thought into how the art director receives your promo materials – it's boring to just whack some cards in an envelope."

Like many creative types, Jonny's happiest when he's working, even between commissions. An example of this is his self-initiated "Can't Afford It" project. Whenever he wants an item of clothing he can't afford, he draws it instead! Eventually to be self-published as a book, working like this helps him improve his work rate, hone his Photoshop and Illustrator skills, and keep his unique style fresh and ever-evolving.

No matter how his style develops, MOO's short print runs means that his promotional materials are always in step with his latest work. "As an illustrator, your style is always changing and improving. The last thing you want is to end up with a thousand cards of the same design. You need to keep existing and future clients up to date with your freshest, latest work, because essentially they will hire you based on what they see on your promo material. It's no good for an art director to commission you only to find that your illustrative style has changed or moved on." He laughs. "After all, you wouldn't be happy buying a Jay-Z CD to find a Metallica disc inside, right?"

When designing his cards, Jonny also took advantage of a new feature that allows users to upload images for both the front and the back of the Business Cards. "Anything that gives you more options allows room for creative control – and it's that kind of flexibility that keeps me coming back to MOO. The ability to upload images for both sides of the Business Cards enables you to make the cards completely unique."

"A business card is usually the first point of contact between a new client and an illustrator, so it's important your card jumps out at people while being straight and upfront with your contact details. The fact that the cards can be individual rather than generic also gives a sense of professionalism – people can be impressed that you've put the effort into designing your own cards. A little effort can go a long way."

Jonny's constantly thinking of new ways to promote his work using MOO products. "I love the Stickers – I can see them being a very unique selling point. They're a little different and unexpected, which is beneficial in an industry where everyone strives to promote themselves in a unique way."  

MiniCards appeal to him for the same reason. "MiniCards are great because they get straight to the point and don't take up a lot of space. Art directors get bombarded with samples every morning. They open their mail and have to make snap decisions about what to keep and what to chuck."

"They're more likely to pin a MiniCard onto their noticeboard than, say, a leaflet, because they know it won't take up a lot of space. And if your work's on their noticeboard, they're more likely to bear you in mind when it comes to commissioning. And that's what it's all about!"

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Thanks for talking to us Jonny! We look forward to seeing more of your work soon.

Like Jonny's work? He's available for commissions so get in touch, and say hello from us too.

After giving you the story behind Perch's MiniCards, we thought we should catch up with photographer, Simon Warren. Also featured on our MiniCards page, he's been taking advantage of the latest features and comparing them with the larger Business Cards he's been using (and loving) for a while. Here's what he had to say:

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Simon Warren is one of the UK's top location photographers. He's been using MOO's Business Cards to showcase his outstanding graphic images: bold exteriors, sleek interiors, arresting construction shots and more.

Though happy with the size and scope of the Business Cards, he's recently been experimenting with MiniCards, with positive results.



A hardcore Business Card fan, Simon was initially worried by the slimmed-down dimensions of the MiniCards (about half the size of a full-size business card.)

"At first, I was concerned that the cards would be simply too small to showcase my photos effectively", he explains. "But actually, this can work very well. The cards show snippets of images – almost abstract – giving a hint of information, but (quite literally) not the full picture."

Rather than being a hindrance, this fits well with other design aspects of his brand. "My website works in exactly the same way – visitors are shown an interesting or intriguing section of an image, which they click to see in full. It’s a simple but effective way to get people involved and interacting with my work." 



He also likes the impact the MiniCards can have when shown together. "Once you have a whole bunch of cards spread out on the table, the viewer is able to get a better impression of your work than a single image can provide, so that's how I like to show them. Then I let the viewer choose whichever one they want. The fact that they've been involved in the choice often helps them remember your work better than if you simply thrust a card into their hand.

"I often refer to my MOO Business Cards as my ‘mini-portfolio’. My MiniCards are now my mini-mini portfolio!" he laughs. "Sometimes when you're carrying a full set of business cards around in a holder, it can be a little clunky. At a very basic level, they're physically easier to carry around with you. As a photographer, you carry so much equipment with you - that's a big plus."



Simon's also pleased with his MiniCard holder. "It swings open sideways and then you push the cards out with your thumb. It's unusual and I think people like that.

"At networking events so many people are handing out conventional business cards in conventional holders. Sometimes that's what you want, but other times it's good to stand out a little. MiniCards can help you do just that."

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Thanks for chatting with us Simon!
Find out more about Simon's work, or check out his portfolio.

As you are probably aware, Royal Mail have scheduled further strikes this week. Please note this only affects "Standard" delivery to UK addresses, not Express.

Local delivery services and the sorting office at Royal Mail HQ will be closed this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We want to make sure that your order doesn't get caught in the backlog and we have some alternatives for you to think about when placing your order.

Express
At checkout, you can choose our Express service. This is a guaranteed, signed for service, which is totally unaffected by the strikes. UK Express starts at £10 and is definitely value for money. You will be able to track the delivery online and the service is 1-3 days guaranteed (once shipped).

Collection
During the strike action, we are offering a special collection service. If you are based locally to our Clerkenwell warehouse in London, please send us your order number via the contact form, quoting COLLECTION in the subject line. We'll then flag your order for collection and give you instructions on how/where to collect your order. This is for a limited time only, so be sure to get your order in ASAP!

In the meantime, fingers crossed for a speedy resolution to these disputes.

As you know, we've updated the features on MiniCards. You can upload an image for the front and the back - and there are some other neat features too. On the MiniCards page, you'll find some images of real cards. Ones our customers have made - like these, from Perch:

We contacted Perch after seeing their cards at dConstruct, a conference in Brighton. We liked them so much, we wondered what they'd do with the new features we had planned for MiniCards. The cards above are the ones they made, and this is the story behind them.

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Perch is a "really little" content management system. (Their words, not ours!) It's designed to be simple, straightforward, and easy to get running, so that even internet novices can edit content on a small website with no muss and no fuss. The really little CMS also has a really neat little price and, confesses Drew McLellan, Director and Senior Developer at edgeofmyseat, the company behind Perch, a slimmed-down marketing budget to match.  

Despite this, Perch have been using their MiniCards to do mighty things. Things that might have carried a hefty price tag with another printer. Prior to launch, Perch produced a batch of MOO MiniCards with a special 20% discount code on the back – a time-tested, traditional way to promote a product, which gave people a reason to hold onto the card until the company went live.  

After launch, they began to look at new ways to market themselves, by sponsoring conferences, and speaking about Perch at events. In order to test the effectiveness of such activities, they needed a way to track where their site visitors had heard about the product - and this is where the mighty MiniCard things started happening.  

Rather than the general discount card they'd used previously, Perch ordered some new MiniCards, with unique discount codes on the front where the photo normally goes. They wrote some software to generate the codes, and output an XML file that they then "mail merged" into their images using the Data-Driven Graphics tool in Adobe Fireworks. This created 100 unique images for each batch of MiniCards, which they then uploaded as part of each order.

"The ability to have 100 unique cards in a run of 100 has been fantastic for us", says Drew. "Doing it any other way would have been a nightmare. Firstly it would have been difficult just to find someone able to do it, and you can bet it would have been expensive - probably too expensive to be worth doing! Now when someone uses a discount code, we can tell which event they picked up the card at by tracking the code back through our systems."

Perch also find MOO's short print runs to be very handy, because each batch they order is a small commitment both financially, and in terms of strategy. Fresh illustration work, a small tweak to the logo – all can be incorporated into the MiniCards next time a batch is produced. "The fact that we order 100 cards at a time means it's no hassle to make that sort of change", says Drew, "and it's great to order up some new cards knowing that the wastage from the old cards is really minimal. We've probably got about £5-worth of unused old design cards sitting around, which is nothing. If we were printing traditionally at volume then you're tied in and can't stay nimble."

"MOO's generally our first port of call when we need something printed", says Drew. "We've been really pleased with the quality and the ability to click a few things on a web page and have something physical that you've created turn up at your door is awesome."

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Thanks to Drew for taking the time to talk to us - and thanks to Anne-Marie for writing this up. Find out more about Perch and what it can do for you, or make some MiniCards of your own.

You've been asking for improvements on our first ever product and we’re excited to say they're finally here. MOO MiniCards now offer even more creative possibilities - and some of your most requested features.

There’s now the option to choose from a bigger range of fonts, colours and templates to personalise the ‘details side’ of your cards. We’ve also added the option to upload your own logo, or choose an icon from our brand new selection.

Want to upload an entire image for the details side of the card? No problem. Just like our larger Business Cards, you can now upload a full JPEG or PDF.

 At the end of the process  check your cards (text and images) on a brand new preview page – another chance to check your spellink  spelling, and make sure you’re happy with your images.  

 

And, last, but not least, all that goodness is packed into a very smart new MiniCard presentation case! Designed in-house by Paul, our product designer, it’s sturdy but recyclable card.

Enough already? Go take a look at the New and improved MiniCards for yourselves!

Matthew Handy knows how. He's a private maths teacher, providing tuition to individuals and small groups to help them pass their Maths and Further Maths A-levels. He helps with undergraduate courses with mathematical content, and advises pupils on UCAS, including Oxbridge. He also designs some rather nifty business cards – take a look at these Bauhaus-inspired beauties...

His cards feature mathematical theorems and diagrams in classic red, black and white colours, turning what might have been a potentially dry and challenging business card into a beautiful visual object that can also, of course, double up as a study aid. We got in touch with Matthew to tell him how much we liked his cards, and to find out how a maths guru like him developed such a knack for canny self-marketing.

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We love the design of your cards – very creative and graphic. How have the cards been received? Do they seem to stick in people's minds?

The first print run (of 200) ran out within a week! Students love them because they cover the topics that they have the most difficulty remembering. Although mathematics is about understanding, it is much easier if you've learnt the building blocks. For younger students it's the times tables. At A-level, it's the material that I've put on my cards. I got so frustrated at writing out those formulas over and over again and this seemed the perfect way of promoting my services and demonstrating how useful they could be.

If you don't mind us saying, graphic design and self-marketing is not normally a skill you associate with maths tutors, yet you seem to have quite a flair for it. How do you come up with your marketing concepts?

I've always been fascinated by page design. As a young kid I used to collect headed notepaper. I would write to big companies, just so they'd write back and I could add to my collection. I first discovered the Apple Mac at university - it blew me away - and since then I've worked on a number of design projects: from books and newspapers, to corporate image work for schools, a restaurant and a record company.

You founded Ivory Tower magazine at Cambridge, and launched MXpress, a newspaper for young people, after you graduated. Is the creative and practical side of magazine publishing something that appeals to you?

I love the whole process of producing something printed. Watching the first copies of MXpress coming off the presses was incredible: this huge room-sized machine, manned by half a dozen people, churning out tens of thousands of copies of something I'd created. It was like watching the birth of my first child. I love print.

Speaking of print - paper finish: Green or Classic for your Business Cards?

I've so far always opted for the Classic. It's beautiful. That's part of the pleasure I get from print: the physical feel of the material. I really should try the Green, though.

Did you find MOO's creation and ordering process easy to use?

I'm a control freak, so I love the process. I can change things as often as I want without annoying anyone!

Any plans to use MOO cards in other ways in the future? For example, have you thought of doing a set of 50 and giving / selling them as a complete set of study tips?

That's certainly on the cards (excuse the pun!). I've also thought about using the MiniCards as key-ring crib sheets.

Are MOO's short print runs useful to you?

I'm a huge fan of MOO. Everything is so stylish, and it's all done with a real sense of fun. The small print runs allow experimentation and flexibility, which is terrific for a small business like mine.

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Thanks to Matthew Handy for chatting with us - for more information about his tuition or to book yourself a lesson, visit his site.

And for those who are confused by the 's' on the end of the word 'math' - that's just the way we say it in the UK ;-)

As some of you may already know, there has been extensive industrial action  by Royal Mail workers in the UK over the past few weeks.

This is only affecting our UK based customers, not everyone purchasing from the UK store.

Customers have been experiencing small delays and we encourage anyone based in the UK to allow a little extra time for delivery.

If you want to avoid the strikes altogether, please use our Express service, which is fully trackable and usually delivered the day after the items are dispatched.

Intermittent local and regional strikes by both collection and sorting services, plus your personal mailmen, are ongoing and at this point no resolution has been reached. At a recent Royal Mail member's meeting 76% of postal workers voted for a national strike, which at this point has not been finalized or scheduled. We will be doing our best to keep UK customers in the loop.

For daily updates on the UK Royal Mail strikes, and how they might be affecting you, keep an eye on the Royal Mail site.

What do you get if you cross MiniCards with magnets? Moognets! We’re seeing more and more moognets out there, and one of our favourite moognet-makers is illustrator Luisa Vidal, aka Etsy seller Fashion Fuchsia.

Luisa sells her moognets as beautifully packaged themed sets. Bright yellow suns shine next to redheads in sunglasses. Blue boys and purple girls reach for each other’s hands from their respective MiniCards. Or the customer can go random and choose their own – fancy clashing a pink alien robot with a cat-boy in a brown dog costume?

As well as magnets, Luisa makes MiniCard bookmarks and uses Postcards to showcase her illustrations. We caught up with her to talk illustration, Etsy, moognets and more.
 

Hi Luisa! We love your work. Where do you get your inspiration?

I’ve always loved drawing – one of my earliest memories is of my Dad teaching me how to draw a cup of tea! And the inspiration for my subject matter comes from my two main hobbies: cinema and fashion. I love film: animation, sci-fi, fantasy, action – everything! I enjoy creating characters that are the protagonists of my own little movie-stories in my head. I like to imagine what life would be like for them: what they’d wear and who they’d be friends with. Then I put that into my drawings.

Do you produce your work by hand, on computer, or a combination of both?

It’s a combination. I draw my ideas on paper and then use the computer to finish or colour it. The initial freehand drawing on paper is very important to me – I appreciate it a lot in my creative process.

How long have you been selling on Etsy? Is it a good place for an illustrator to promote herself?

I’ve been selling on Etsy since March 2009. It’s easy to use and you can communicate with many people around the world. There’s a good community of illustrators on there. Managing an Etsy store does require time and patience, but it’s a lot of fun.

What made you decide to use MOO in your work?

I decided to create my own products because I often go to stores and can’t find what I’m after – little gifts with a special touch. I’ve always enjoyed using magnets to stick photographs, drawings, and notes to the fridge or filing cabinet or whatever. It’s such a sweet, personal thing to do. And I was looking at my MiniCards and realised that their measurements and finish make them perfect for making magnets from. I thought they’d make my designs look fun and colourful in people’s bedrooms, offices or kitchens.

How about the bookmarks?

Yes, I also make bookmarks with MiniCards. I like to think of my designs accompanying people as they go about their day-to-day lives. Reading a book is like starting a long journey with someone – the book becomes an inseparable companion. By day, by night, on the bus, the book’s there. I thought it would be fantastic for someone to have one of my bookmarks on the journey with them.

Is paper quality and print finish important to you?

Oh yes…. I admit I’m a bit of a perfectionist! I love good, thick paper and the finish on MOO products. I make all my things with great care, and I like to collaborate with people who take a similar pride in the things they produce. I’ve found a great place to print my designs in MOO.

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Thanks for the interview Luisa!
Find out more about Luisa at www.fashionfucsia.blogspot.com or check out her work in her Etsy store
 

 

Business Cards can be a great way to show off your company’s products. But what if the product you’re selling is a little more… esoteric than that? What if you’re selling knowledge, expertise, experience? What if you’re selling a bit of shazam and a lot of pizzazz?

Well, you could go generic – stock photos of grey-suited businessmen striding purposefully towards a breakfast meeting, maybe, or an abstract blue shape with your company name in the bottom right corner. Or, you could get interesting. You could get creative. Like PR company Ruder Finn.

The pictures on the back of the Corporate and Technology team’s business cards are random in a good way. If a member of the Corp / Tech team gives you a business card then you might end up with a picture of a ginger orang-utan, or a Thai fertility shrine, or a cute kid in a 70s jumper, or a kitten. Forget bland stock images – these are business cards with a twist.

“Why didn’t we use generic, corporate images on our business cards?” laughs Becky MacMichael, head of the Corp / Tech team. “We’re not a generic, corporate bunch! Clients buy our experience, our energy, and our personalities, so we thought, why not extend this across our business cards too?”

“When the time came to renew our cards, we knew we wanted MOO cards but decided rather than have a standard picture on the back, we’d come up with a set of categories that gave us free rein as to the images we used.”

Those categories were a favourite place, a pet, a childhood photo, and a funny image, and results include a picture of a mini Stonehenge on a beach, the aforementioned fertility shrine (full of phalluses), and a Test match cricket ticket.

“When it comes to spare time”, Becky says, “Ged loves all things Asian and design-related, Paul is mad about cricket and Mat manages a band.  Despite being very different, we have a really strong united team.  We wanted the cards to reflect this.”

As well as the ability to create unusual Business Cards, Ruder Finn appreciate the short runs, paper quality and print finish MOO offer.

 “We usually go for the ‘green’ cards. They’re less glossy than the others, but it’s good to have the option to be eco-friendly. And MOO’s short runs are really handy if we want some cards designed for a specific event or a particular project.”

At the moment it’s only Ruder Finn’s Corporate and Technology team who are using this style of card, but they’ve been such a hit with colleagues and clients that there are now plans to introduce the cards to other teams within the company. After all, the aim of good PR is to get people talking about a product, so why not start people talking the second you hand over your business card?

“Do our clients like the cards? Definitely!”, says Becky. “At meetings I tend to pull out whichever ones I remembered to stuff in my wallet that morning, and let the client choose which card to take. They’re a good talking point – the client usually asks why the cards are all different, or what the image represents. And they’re a great ice-breaker at networking events. Especially the fertility shrine!”

Read more about the stories behind Ruder Finn’s MOO cards on their blog.

As you know, September is our birthday month, and we're celebrating with a month of different discounts. There are different discounts featured on different days - and not always on MOO products. Today (Thursday Sept 3rd), for example, we're sharing an exclusive 10% discount with our friends at Firebox. Tomorrow, well, that's a secret, but it's a MOO discount!

Which is all very nice (we hope). But when we heard about charity: water we thought it was such a good cause, we'd go an extra mile to help out.

charity: water is dedicated to bringing clean, safe drinking water to developing countries. In their own words:

"One billion people on the planet don't have access to clean drinking water. That's one in six of us. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects."

This month, they're asking people with birthdays in September to give up their birthday gifts and instead, ask that the cost of the gifts is donated to charity: water. It's our birthday month - and we're not asking you for gifts, just asking that you buy yourself one.

This pack of Greeting Cards features beautiful shots of charity: water projects. Inspiring photos, wonderfully photographed.
For every pack sold, we will donate $22 (approximately £14/€15) to charity: water

Use them as birthday cards, thank you notes, to catch up with old friends or to decorate your room. Use them to help spread the word. (Or stock up early on your Christmas Cards). Whatever you use them for, you'll've helped bring clean, safe water to someone in need.

You're more of a Postcard person? That's fine - we'll be donating $11 (approximately £7 /€8) for every pack of charity: water Postcards too. What are you waiting for?