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Badge design – size, shape, content

A badge is an essential part of any business event, serving as a guest's identifier at the location. Thanks to badges, it's immediately clear who you're talking to and what company they represent. But beyond that, a badge can also serve as an event handout, containing not only information about the event but also about its partners and sponsors, or it can be a useful tool providing participants with immediate access to the program, private chats, or a mobile app. For your badge to be truly useful for both you as the organizer and for the participants, you need to think through its design, size, and exactly what information you will place on it in advance.

There are participants who have been collecting badges from events they've attended for years. Speakers and all sorts of invited guests especially love to do this. We took one of these collections, selected what we thought were interesting examples, and did a detailed breakdown of what's good about them and what's bad. There is no such thing as a perfect badge. Every event is unique, its tasks and goals are unique, so every organizer creates a badge according to their own vision and the tasks of their event.

badge-design

Classic badge

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

Cons

  • Lines for the participant's full name are visible even when a sticker is applied. Writing with a marker on a laminated badge would also be a bad idea.

  • A useless full-color flood on the back. If there's no important information there, and the 2-clip lanyard prevents the badge from flipping over, then it's a waste of money. It could have been left white.

badge-design

Economy option

  • Size: 11x16 cm
  • Lamination: Silicone pouch instead of lamination
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard sewn to the pouch
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Location map on the back of the badge

Cons

  • Thin paper that can tear if you try to take it out of the pouch to sign it

  • The participant takes the badge and goes; no one wants to spend time writing their full name and company on it. Everyone walks around nameless.

badge-design

Uninformative and boring

  • Size: 11x17 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: sharp rectangular
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • QR code linking to the participant's contacts (in the original version)

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn

Cons

  • Huge size, considering the amount of information placed on it

  • No useful information about the event; the space could have been filled with logos of partners, sponsors, etc.

  • A huge sticker with the full name, all white on white

  • Sharp corners that can catch on clothing

badge-design

Overloaded with information

  • Size: 9x13 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

Cons

  • Information overload on the badge (Long event name, date, time, full location address, all with icons, information about partners, logos, and organizer contacts)

  • Information about the participant gets lost amidst all of the above

  • Black text on a dark purple background is unreadable

  • Flips over while being worn due to the single clip

badge-design

2-in-1 ticket badge

  • Size: A4 convertible to A6
  • Lamination: silicone pouch
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips or a single clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • The ticket purchased by the participant can be used immediately as a badge.

  • The ticket is configured by the organizer, so you can add info about sponsors, partners, and other important information.

  • You can add an image with a map of the location to make it easier for guests to navigate, or QR codes for the program, etc.

Cons

  • You need to somehow "force" guests to print tickets, or set up large A4 printers at the location and print tickets for those who came without them.

badge-design

With all partners announced

  • Size: 11x16 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: sharp rectangular
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Correctly chosen size considering the number of announced partners and sponsors

  • Links to the event's social media, but it would have been better to make them QR codes instead of text

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

Cons

  • A designated area for the sticker, which can lead to crooked application in a hurry.

  • Sharp corners that can catch on clothing

  • Flips over while being worn due to the single clip

badge-design

With a text-based program

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • Event program on the back. Since it's not large and different blocks are well-separated by color, it's quite readable.

Cons

  • A designated area for the sticker, which can lead to crooked application in a hurry. It's always better to have a full background flood.

badge-design

For different guest categories

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: matte on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • A sticker with guest data is provided, not handwritten

  • 2 types of badges, depending on the guest's ticket category, making it immediately clear who is who

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • Event program on the back.

Cons

  • A barely visible frame for the sticker. It's good that in this specific case, the design made it very thin, and the sticker was a few mm larger and covered it. But the risk of applying it crookedly remains.

  • The program is all one color (the same on the white badge), making it difficult to quickly figure out which panel is currently on.

badge-design

Handwritten

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: none
  • Corners: straight
  • Attachment: clip / lanyard
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Logos of partners, sponsors, organizers

  • Guest category is highlighted

Cons

  • Writing in messy handwriting. Hard to read and the marker smudges.

  • Thin paper, doesn't always last until the end of the event

badge-design

Classic badge with a sticker

  • Size: 10x14 cm / 9x15 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: sharp straight / rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Organizer logos

Cons

  • Flips over while being worn due to the single clip

badge-design

Double-sided duplicated

  • Size: 11x15 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided - identical
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Logos of partners and sponsors

  • Because the sticker with the full name is applied to both sides and the sides are identical, it doesn't matter which way the badge flips

Cons

  • A designated area for the sticker, which can lead to hurried and crooked application. As is clearly visible from the picture, it's crooked on both sides.

badge-design

Huge

  • Size: 20x15 cm
  • Lamination: none
  • Corners: straight
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Presence of partner and sponsor logos

Cons

  • Large size

  • Huge area for the sticker, which is clearly too small

  • Thin paper, which causes the badge to tear away from the clip

badge-design

Fixing mistakes (C-Grade Effort)

  • Size: 10x7 cm
  • Lamination: none
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with a clip-on
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Smaller size than at the previous event

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • The badge flips less thanks to the clip, and tears less

  • Additional information for participants, for whom the organizer gathered everyone

Cons

  • Designated area for the sticker. In the previous version, it was huge; here they made it very small and didn't account for the sticker size. It's significantly taller than the area itself.

badge-design

Product presentation

  • Size: 9x13 cm
  • Lamination: matte on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • A sticker with guest data is provided, not handwritten

  • Organizer and partner logos

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • On the back, a QR code leads to the product page being presented to the audience

Cons

  • This badge doesn't have any obvious flaws, from our point of view. Except maybe the size of the QR code. For some reason, most organizers think that the bigger, the better, but in reality, it's more inconvenient for participants to scan it because they have to move their phone far away for the code to fit entirely within the camera's field of view.

badge-design

Presentation for partners

  • Size: 9x12 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • A sticker with guest data is provided, not handwritten

  • On the back, a QR code leads to a chatbot with the program and push notifications for participants

Cons

  • A designated area for the sticker, which can lead to crooked application in a hurry

  • Not everyone wants to subscribe to chatbots in messengers; a regular web page with the program is always more reliable.

badge-design

Fixing mistakes, version 2

  • Size: 9x12 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided
What changed next time

  • Removed the frame for the sticker, which looks much nicer and eliminates the risk of crooked application by the hostess.

  • Since the event is held by a well-known company for its partners and its logo is on the lanyards for the badges, the logo was removed from the badge and the event name was made larger.

badge-design

Pre-printed personalized

  • Size: 9x14 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided (identical sides)
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • The guest's name and the entire badge design are on both sides, and the sides are identical - it doesn't matter which way the badge flips

Cons

  • The badge is not very informative. No event name, no date, no logos, no QR codes.

  • If the badges are pre-printed, then guests who registered at the last minute won't have a badge at all, or it will be handwritten.

  • To print such badges for all guests, you need to close registration in advance.

  • If you have pre-printed badges and they are arranged alphabetically at the location, be prepared that within 15-20 minutes after the start of registration, all the badges will be mixed up in a chaotic order, and far from alphabetical.

  • Some badges will be lost in the chaos and will create a wave of indignation and resentment from the guests.

  • There's no way of knowing who was given a badge, whose was lost and handwritten, and then found when collecting all the items from the location.

badge-design

With program as a QR code

  • Size: 9x13 cm
  • Lamination: matte on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Organizer logos on the front and partner logos on the back

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • Event program on the back. Since it's not large and different blocks are well-separated by color, it's quite readable.

Cons

  • The QR code is not labeled to indicate where it leads. People are afraid to scan it and everyone asks where the program is. A single word "Program" would solve these issues.

  • The code size could also be smaller to make it easier to scan with a smartphone.

badge-design

With QR codes for program, app, and partner logos

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: none
  • Corners: straight
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Partner logos on the front

  • Event program on the back. Convenient even with changes.

  • Link to a mobile app for networking

Cons

  • Thin paper without lamination

badge-design

In Landscape orientation

  • Size: 11x18 cm
  • Lamination: none
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Despite the lack of lamination, it didn't wrinkle, although this could have been due to its small size

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • Sticker with a QR code containing the guest's data for security to scan

  • Event program on the back via QR code.

Cons

  • The QR code is not labeled. Many guests tried to scan the one on the sticker in search of the program.

  • Attachment by clip only, without a lanyard. Not everyone likes to clip things directly onto their clothes.

badge-design

2-in-1 badge-notebook

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: on the front cover
  • Corners: straight
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: Cover + backing + internal information block
Pros

  • 2-in-1 Badge + Notebook. Comes with handout material right away.

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • Inside the notebook is a short program with session timings and a QR code leading to a detailed schedule of talks, with info about speakers, etc.

  • Information about the general sponsor, other sponsors, partner logos, and media partners. You can offer partners separate pages for branding or an internal block.

Cons

  • You can't make the internal block too large, it will be heavy.

badge-design

Badge brochure

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: laminated paper
  • Corners: straight
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Badge + program + info about partners and sponsors - all in one

  • Sticker with guest data, not handwritten

  • The brochure immediately includes a text-based program with speaker times and topics

  • Welcoming words from the organizer, information and thanks to the general sponsor

  • Information about partners, sponsors, media partner logos.

  • A clean spread (two pages) for notes.

Cons

  • Flips over while being worn. It's better to use 2 stickers with the full name and apply them to both sides of the brochure.

badge-design

Printed on-site

  • Size: 10x15 cm
  • Lamination: without lamination
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 1 clip
  • Printing: single-sided
Pros

  • Printed on-site, so all guests definitely have badges and they are identical

  • A photo of the guest is taken at the time of issue, so it's immediately clear that there is no impersonation; such a badge is difficult to forge on the spot.

  • QR code with guest data, which can be verified by state security against the database and documents

  • Organizer logos

Cons

  • An expensive solution for regular events

  • The paper density is like that of a photograph, which makes the badge not very durable. It's better to additionally insert it into a silicone pouch or laminate it on-site, which will further increase the cost and time for distribution.

badge-design

With RFID tag

  • Size: 11x15 cm
  • Lamination: glossy on 2 sides
  • Corners: rounded
  • Attachment: lanyard with 2 clips
  • Printing: double-sided
Pros

  • Thick cardstock, heavy lamination

  • Printed on-site with the guest's full name and photo, which they uploaded in advance during registration

  • The badge doesn't flip over while being worn, thanks to the 2 clips

  • The badge consists of 2 fragments that are glued together. Between them is an RFID tag that is read as you move around the location. Security immediately sees the data of the guest who passed through the gate into a particular zone.

Cons

  • An expensive solution for regular events

Summary

So, let's sum up. A badge is not just a card – it's part of the handout material that you can use to advertise organizers, partners, and sponsors. You can use both sides of the badge, and what you place on them – whether you make both sides identical or leave the back for partner logos, the program, or text for a quest – is entirely your choice.

The size of the badge should directly depend on the amount of information you will place on it. You shouldn't make them too big, but making them too small if you have a lot of text or logos is also not a good idea. Laminated badges look more premium, and they are more durable. They won't tear off from the clips, won't wrinkle or wear out. So if you have an event for the whole day or for several days, it's better to pay more but make them sturdy enough to last for all the days of the event.

Attaching the lanyard with 2 clips is always better than with 1 or a single clip because this way the badge will always hang straight, facing the guests, and won't flip over to the back.

The sticker with data for the badge should be selected based on the size of the badge itself and the amount of information about the participant that needs to be printed on it. If it's just a first and last name, you shouldn't use large stickers where there will be a lot of empty space. And conversely, small ones if you need to print long names of organizations and positions. Then the font during printing will be very small and unreadable.

And of course – never make frames or white fields for the sticker! Always leave a solid flood of your color (background), and the sticker itself will look like a frame.