Stamping Design Sensibility on Membership Cards When the Akron Teachers Credit Union changed its name to the Towpath Credit Union, it turned to Alliance Plastics Company, Ferndale, Mich., to supply new membership cards for its members in northeast Ohio. Alliance Plastics Company offers plastic cards and promotional products to retailers, insurance providers, hotels, libraries, banks and labor/trade unions. The credit union's former membership card was a 30 mil CR80 (standard credit card size) in black and white with a signature panel on the front. The card was functional, but it wasn't eye-catching. When the credit union's operations manager ordered the new cards, one of her prime requests was for an attractive card. She asked Alliance for suggestions. "We enjoyed the chance to act as consultants," says Keith Brown, sales and marketing director for Alliance. "In most cases, clients know what they want or ad agencies provide the artwork. In this case, she said, 'Make us an attractive card.'" Towpath Credit Union provided the new logo, and Steve Fishman, art director at Alliance Plastics Company, went to work. Fishman designed approximately five versions of the card, tweaking each one until the operations manager was satisfied. The first version was a simple design featuring the Towpath Credit Union's logo, its initials in green and brown. The operations manager wanted more color, so Fishman added a tinted green background. Some later renditions depicted borders. One variation included a screened spider web design in the background. "The customer had ideas on how she wanted the card to look, and she translated them back to our art director," Brown says. Ultimately, the operations manager selected a 30 mil PVC card with a green gradient that bleeds. The start tint is 50 percent. The credit union's logo appears in the upper left corner, and the card displays three 10 percent tinted signature panels—for the member's name, account number and signature. The other side of the card, which has a laminated plastic polish finish, lists contact information for the credit union's three branches. Alliance provided 10,000 cards to the Towpath Credit Union, which will personalize them as needed. Some companies might see working back-and-forth with the client, altering small details on the card, as a hassle. Alliance takes the opposite approach. "We place an emphasis on customer service and quality that's evident in this order," Brown says. "When you take a consultative approach with customers and you're dedicated to helping your customers, you come away with the best possible product." Have a solution? Click here to be featured in Solution of the Week