WILDCARD PLAYING CARDS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
​Wildcard is a 54-card deck of playing cards themed after the Sierra National forest. This project is inspired by the Art Deco and Art Nouveau art movements. Both styles are known for their intricate designs, elegant lines, and attention to detail. Art Deco artwork is characterized by bold geometric shapes and lavish ornamentation, characteristic of traditional playing card design. Art Nouveau artwork often features flowing, organic forms inspired by nature. The fusion of these styles results in the perfect approach for the design of this Sierra National Forest themed playing card deck.
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The goal of this project is to educate the general public about the natural plant life and wonders of the Sierra National Forest through eye-catching designs and a hands-on product like playing cards.
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PROJECT DELIVERABLES:
Deck of Playing Cards : ​​
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Custom tuck-box design with 54 playing cards and bonus information card.
Supporting Sticker Designs:
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Promotional logo stickers and sticker sheet design.
STAGE 01: IDEATION
The ideation for this project revolves around artwork from the Art Deco and Art nouveau movements of the early 20th century. Floral imagery and complimentary color schemes were also present in the research and inspiration phase of the project as well.
Moodboard and Inspiration
Logo and Branding Sketches
Packaging Sketching
Card Layout Sketching
STAGE 02: ITERATION
This stage focused on the logo and brand design of the project. Once these designs were brought into illustrator, I began to explore the typography and text aspects of the design. I wanted something classic and traditional but not outdated. I eventually landed on a combination of script and serif fonts to communicate my theme.
Logo Iteration 01
Logo Iteration 02
Final Design
STAGE 03: IMPLEMENTATION
Once the logo and branding was established, it was time to move onto the packaging of the project. More specifically the custom tuck-box design for the playing cards. It was important to me that the box design was detailed and intricate while also reflecting the landscape it represented. I included a seasonal color scheme for the dryer seasons of the Sierra National forest and once again included some of the native plant life in the design. The back of the box describes Wildcard’s mission and the importance of wildfire prevention in regards to the natural plantlife of the forest.
Box Die-cut Design
Playing Card Design
Cover Art Design
The face cards, or jack, queen, and king cards of this deck all feature native plantlife of the area in an ornate and decorative design. The jack cards feature local wildflowers, the queen cards depict native berry plants such as the sierra gooseberry or wild strawberries.
Number Cards
STAGE 04: FINAL PRODUCTS
All these components come together to form one final product. After these designs were completed, I worked with a vendor to bring the designs to production. The prints were developed on the traditional linen material most common in playing card production however in order to remain on mission and environmentally conscious. These card packaging is made from 100% recycled material.
