Year
Year
2016
2016
Client
Client
52Kards
52Kards
LUXURY FOR THE MODERN CARDICIAN
Duration
Duration
2 Months
2 Months
Location
Location
USA
USA
Industry
Industry
Playing Cards / DTC
Playing Cards / DTC
Deliverables
Deliverables
Brand identity, packaging design, art direction, photography direction.
Brand identity, packaging design, art direction, photography direction.
A premium, custom-designed deck built for collectors, magicians and indusrty enthusiasts, combining refined aesthetics with high-performance handling to create a globally recognized, standout product.
A premium, custom-designed deck built for collectors, magicians and indusrty enthusiasts, combining refined aesthetics with high-performance handling to create a globally recognized, standout product.
52 Kards needed to launch a standout product in an already saturated playing card market where most decks fail to gain traction.
52 Kards needed to launch a standout product in an already saturated playing card market where most decks fail to gain traction.
The challenge was to create something not only visually distinct, but compelling enough to generate demand, build hype, and perform at a high level on Kickstarter. Tinsly led the complete design of the Mint Playing Cards, crafted by Christofer Tinsly "Lacoste", delivering a custom deck built to stand out commercially and visually. The design combined strong brand identity, collector appeal, and market positioning to maximize launch performance.
The challenge was to create something not only visually distinct, but compelling enough to generate demand, build hype, and perform at a high level on Kickstarter. Tinsly led the complete design of the Mint Playing Cards, crafted by Christofer Tinsly "Lacoste", delivering a custom deck built to stand out commercially and visually. The design combined strong brand identity, collector appeal, and market positioning to maximize launch performance.
This resulted in a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that raised over $150,000 in just 30 days, earned a front page feature on Kickstarter and gained massive PR traction. The deck quickly became one of the most recognizable playing cards worldwide and is now sold globally. Building on that success, the second release generated over $500,000 and was fully funded in just 3 MINUTES – reinforcing its status as a top performing product in this category.
This resulted in a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign that raised over $150,000 in just 30 days, earned a front page feature on Kickstarter and gained massive PR traction. The deck quickly became one of the most recognizable playing cards worldwide and is now sold globally. Building on that success, the second release generated over $500,000 and was fully funded in just 3 MINUTES – reinforcing its status as a top performing product in this category.
Designing a Deck Built for Performance, Prestige, and Mystery.
Designing a Deck Built for Performance, Prestige, and Mystery.
Mint wasn’t just another pretty deck, it had to earn a permanent place in the hands of magicians, cardists, and serious collectors. That meant treating every detail like a tool, not just decoration. We started with a visual system that feels timeless at a glance, but reveals intentional structure up close. The back design merges classic casino-inspired symmetry with a modern, minimal pattern that looks “ordinary” to spectators, while feeling elevated and luxurious to anyone who handles cards for a living. Thin borders and a refined color palette were tuned to create clean fans, spreads, and table displays, the kinds of details that matter on camera and in performance.
Mint wasn’t just another pretty deck, it had to earn a permanent place in the hands of magicians, cardists, and serious collectors. That meant treating every detail like a tool, not just decoration. We started with a visual system that feels timeless at a glance, but reveals intentional structure up close. The back design merges classic casino-inspired symmetry with a modern, minimal pattern that looks “ordinary” to spectators, while feeling elevated and luxurious to anyone who handles cards for a living. Thin borders and a refined color palette were tuned to create clean fans, spreads, and table displays, the kinds of details that matter on camera and in performance.
Form had to serve function. The layout was built around the MINT marking system, integrating a clock-based code into the design so it remains invisible to audiences but readable at a glance to trained magicians. Typography, iconography, and ornamentation were all designed to disappear into the pattern, allowing the markings to live in plain sight without ever feeling like a “trick deck.” From the tuck box to the card faces, every touchpoint reinforces the same idea: luxury for the modern cardician. Premium paper stock, considered embossing, and restrained foil treatment position Mint as a high-end object, while the overall look stays practical, familiar, and performance-first, a deck you can proudly collect, but also confidently put to work.
Form had to serve function. The layout was built around the MINT marking system, integrating a clock-based code into the design so it remains invisible to audiences but readable at a glance to trained magicians. Typography, iconography, and ornamentation were all designed to disappear into the pattern, allowing the markings to live in plain sight without ever feeling like a “trick deck.” From the tuck box to the card faces, every touchpoint reinforces the same idea: luxury for the modern cardician. Premium paper stock, considered embossing, and restrained foil treatment position Mint as a high-end object, while the overall look stays practical, familiar, and performance-first, a deck you can proudly collect, but also confidently put to work.
