With my monogram done, the last thing I need to do for this project is the application.

In my research blog, I discussed how I want to keep a class black and white colour palette, but add a touch of my own personality through perhaps a little bit of retro/vintage pattern, colour or shapes. The main goal is to keep the branding classy but also add in some personality and fun.

I think my monogram has archive what I want pretty well in terms of being classic/modern and simple with a touch of vintage/fun;

The first application that I'm designing is the business card.

When I was flipping through the book "You're Invited! Invitation Design for Every Occasion", I saw something that really caught my eye;

The little black vintage illustrations of gentlemen and ladies were really eye-catching and unique. Because I'm a very keen illustrator, this really inspired me to do something like this for myself. I think it is a good way to make my card more unique, reveal a little about what I look like, and add some personality to my brand;

I kept the illustration experiments mostly black and white ( like in the book) so that they will go well with my black and white monogram. Also, like in the book, I added no expression to keep the look natural (for versatility and not giving away too much).

However, the difference is that I  made my illustration entirely out of circles to add simplicity, and also it adds to the theme of my monogram.

I really like the outcome, the illustrations are not as vintage as in the book, they are purposefully made more modern looking. I actually think they look a little like the retro pop style.

My idea for the card was to have a simple, minimalist front with my name and contact detail but then the back of the card would be a nice pattern design/illustration.

Thus the next thing I need to work on was the pattern. Originally I thought I might do something floral, like the ones seen in the retro patterns in my research blog. However, after thinking about it I thought it was perhaps too overused and obvious, I would like something with a bit more personal creativity.

I went onto the internet and researched for retro or vintage geometric patterns. I found one that really caught my eye. It reminds me a little of the Bauhaus style;

I did my own interpretation of this style using the rectangle and circles from my monogram;

I also tried out different retro patterns which I remember seeing on a dress whilst shopping in Belfast, unfortunately, i didn't take a photo of the dress, but I remember the pattern vividly because it was so striking;