What Is The Future Of The Business Card?
The future of the business card is actually more interesting than you may first think - with smart paper that could be touch sensitive and project holograms.
On the first inspection, I’d forgive you for thinking this would be a rather dull story… But dear reader, you’d be mistaken.
The future of these relatively standard print-based cards could see a greater integration with technology to have what we could call a smart business card.
According to Joseph Flynt of 3D Insider, business cards could be “3D printed in the future,” as to add some nifty tech right into the card from the ground-up - all of which can be seen in this nifty concept video from the team over at instantprint.
Interesting ideas involve building GPS capabilities into the intelligent and interactive paper, allowing the on-the-go business person to book a taxi right on their business card.
They could also utilise a holographic display a la RED’s new smartphone, presenting customer-specific notifications, project a map to direct you to the very address on the card, contain a built-in touchscreen to present more info, and even implement Telehealth technology to take your pulse - automatically reporting any findings back to your medical professional.
With many of these cool ideas, my primary question would be the same as the skepticism surrounding wearable technology. What benefits does having it all on a business card have over doing the same thing on your smartphone?
But as someone with business cards, relentlessly networking at many industry shows, I am conscious of making a good first impression. A card with a brand, a name and a number doesn’t really tell your full story - so maybe a smart business card can work to show prospective clients the bigger picture.
