Nature's Deck
Nature's Deck
Designing a nature-inspired deck of playing cards through illustration and iteration.
Self-Directed Project · 2019–2024
Illustration · Playing Card Design · Material Exploration
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I designed a nature-inspired deck of playing cards with a dark palette, red-and-white line drawings, and individually illustrated card faces. Beyond creating a cohesive set of illustrations, I wanted the cards to feel engaging in the hand and reward a closer look.
A visual system for the deck
A visual system for the deck
I wanted each card to have its own illustration while still feeling like part of a unified deck. The numbered cards for each suit feature the corresponding number of leaves on a plant, while the aces, jokers and face cards have distinct designs.
Each card face was drawn individually, balancing the repeated structure of a traditional deck with opportunities for unique illustrations.
Reworking the face cards
Reworking the face cards
I first started the project in 2019, hand-drawing each card, front and back. I completed the numbered cards and aces but struggled with the face cards. I wasn't confident I could draw human figures with enough variety while maintaining the visual style I'd established.
When I revisited the project years later, I redrew the deck digitally, refining some of the original designs and rethinking the face cards. I replaced the human figures with 12 different animals.
Exploring a different material
Exploring a different material
I also created a laser-cut and etched version of the deck using black posterboard with a white core. This version translated the illustrations into a simpler black-and-white palette and let me explore a different way of producing the cards.
The laser etching left subtle ridges in the surface, adding a tactile quality to the illustrations. It was an opportunity to see how changing the material and fabrication method could change the experience of the same designs.
From drawings to a playable deck
From drawings to a playable deck
After refining the digital designs, I had the deck professionally printed and playtested it across multiple games. Seeing the cards in use revealed an issue I hadn't anticipated: the card back didn't have enough visual complexity to read clearly as a back. Its negative space made it easy to mistake for a card face.
This taught me to consider how individual designs work within the larger experience of playing with a deck. A card back needs to be visually distinct from the faces, even when seen briefly or among other cards. I'd like to revisit the back design to make that distinction clearer.
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