Business Cards Are for the Birds

“Nobody needs business cards anymore.” At least that’s what I’ve heard from several printers lately. But there it was…in one of the least expected places! With that instantly recognizable little blue bird, lightly debossed on a rich, thick 100 percent cotton paper, “it” was a Twitter business card.

Old and new media collide
All in all, it’s a beautiful, classically designed card, with ample white space and only the necessary contact information. But what made it noteworthy was the choice of letterpress printing.

So why would Twitter produce business cards? And why, of all the printing processes available, did this social media icon opt for one of the oldest forms of printing known to man?

You can credit employee number 80, Elizabeth Bailey Weil, corporate design and culture at Twitter Inc., and her personal goal to make a big company feel small.

Case in point: as of Monday, 35 new people have joined the Twitter team. All 35 found a one-off letterpress printed card on their desks welcoming them to the company.

“I want people to feel like they matter,” explains Weil, “and give them the feeling that even if we are a big corporate entity, they are personally known.”

Making a big company feel small
From a small startup, Twitter has grown to more than 1,500 employees (make that 1,535 including those new hires ;-)) in 10 offices. It would probably be more economical to send a welcoming email to the newbies, or print out a “welcome to the team” letter on the office inkjet printer, but...

“Paper, especially thick paper, has a particular appeal for those who spend hours at a time in front of a screen,” says Weil. "You can pet it.”

Weil’s favorite is the thick, soft, buttery feel of 600 gsm (220-lb. double thick cover) cotton paper.