Dear Reader,
We wish you a happy and prosperous New Year 2011!
Can you decipher the following equation?
If yes, you are as smart as the symbolist Prof. Robert Langdon. You can stop reading this and continue with your intellectual life. Others, read on…
In the past 10 years, I had to attend a lot of job interviews. Some of them were enlightening; some others were embarassing to me as I repeat the “I don’t know” line for the nth time. Once in a while, I have faced challenging questions that need me to show creativity. Today I am going to discuss one such question.
“Design a business card for you without using any alphabets.”
Although I was expected to do only one design, I came up with four. Let us start with the obvious solutions.
FACE\OFF
My friends, who recognize my face, can have this business card. My mobile phone number appears in the card (No alphabets; that means, numerals are allowed).
Code Play
The idea was to encrypt my name and address as a barcode. This can be read using a barcode reader.
On second thoughts, from a practical point of view, this can be implemented using a QR code. Modern smart phones can easily decode them.
Gmail
This card features my e-mail ID as a screenshot of my Gmail account. Technically, this is disqualified as the screenshot — although an image — contains alphabets.
Ban Me!
OK, this needs some explanation.
If you don’t know it already, my name is ‘Anas.’ In the equation depicted above, the first image is ‘bananas.’ The second image is the ‘ban’ symbol that usually appears in ‘Do not smoke,’ ‘No parking’ boards etc.
What will be the result when I subtract ‘ban’ from ‘bananas?’ Now you understood the logic, right?
I agree that this is a little convoluted. But as a result of me coming up with this design, I landed in the job!
Image Credits
- Bananas: Elembis
- Empty Card: Ilker, Turkey
- Business Card: Vivek Chugh, India
- Hand with Card: Christoffer Vittrup Nielsen, Denmark
- Business Card: Brian Lary, US
What will you do?
I am very much interested to know your answers to this business card question. Inform me your ideas in the ‘Comments’ section.
loved the journey as described by you on your business card. nice…
Hi.. Really nice ideas to explain cards without letters…
Just Loved this!
But what can be done for names like Urvesh Bharambe!
@Urvesh,
I would like to hear the answer to that from antzFx. But Urvesh, what would you have done, had you been asked the same?
@Urvesh — It is so easy. Just announce your name change to ‘Anas’ in Government Gazette and change all the certificates, passport, driving licence etc. to that effect. Then I can provide you the PSD file of the ‘ban me’ business card for printing!
Nice…. First I thought its something like a contest. Anaska an Idea here… start a small contest… remember DPE?
nice thought Anaska…loved the idea….Thinking about how to implement such ideas……
@ Urvesh: how about this….Ur + Vesh(read meaning in marathi)