2019 National Card Collection Day Deck Àpótí Ìkó Káàdì Eré

Press Kit

Unique Properties

The packaging is an interactive experience designed to mimic the exploration of a Moroccan palace. The experience rewards users with escalating stages based on their efforts in the journey. These reveals in the packaging include discovering hidden rooms and opening impossibly-sized corridors through the use of a bespoke two-way mirror system. By focusing on creating genuine moments of surprise and delight for our customers, our packaging becomes a bridge for stronger user-brand connections.

Dimensions & Packaging

Width 68mm x Depth 22mm x Height 90mm

Tags

Playing Cards, Engraving, Palace, Mirror, Illusion, Patterns, Scodix, Tile, Morocco, Discovery, Interactive

Production Technology

Each deck is meticulously handcrafted with exotic intaglio engravings that mimic the stonework of the palace gates, where engraving was chosen to best execute on the tight detailing of the designs. The glossy cards inside are coated in a scodix printing process to create a glossy raised-tiling effect that contrasts with the textured exterior in elegant harmony. A custom 30% opacity two-way mirror was designed for the packaging as a crucial element in creating the illusions of the experience.

Design Challenge

The largest obstacle was developing the mirror element of the packaging. For material testing acrylic was found to be most sturdy in thin profile unlike cracking glass, and most stable with reflections unlike film sheets. The structure evolved from a single tuck into a 2 piece shell as a way to introduce the keyhole element and provide mirror protection. The best looking illusions finalized at 30 percent mirror opacity, calibrated for the user’s most likely light source, their phone flashlight.

Research

The main goal of the packaging was to create genuine feelings of surprise and achievement, elements shown in neuroscience to better encode experiences into memory and perceive them at higher value. Designing interaction into the packaging was the best way to accomplish this. Optical illusions were chosen for their ability to amaze and ease of implementation. A puzzle discovery format was used as the framework to generate the effort needed for feeling a sense of earned achievement in the user.

Inspiration

Inspired by the palaces of Morocco, the 2019 event design pays tribute to the iconic architecture of the region with traditionally decorated gates and exotic geometric patterns throughout that hint at something more. The packaging centers on an interactive challenge labeled on the side to unlock the gate, designed to reward users with discovery moments of different magnitude in direct correlation with their effort and investment towards the experience and brand.

Project Duration

Designed in Morocco April 2019
Launched in Chicago, USA October 2019

Operation Flow

STAGES OF DISCOVERY. 1) KEYHOLE: User reveals an archway by raising it through the keyhole track of the exterior shell. 2) UNVEILING: When light is shone into the packaging the mirrored reflection vanishes, revealing a hidden room behind the gate. 3) OPEN SESAME: An impossibly-sized palace corridor is discovered inside when users shine light between two arches. The semi-transparent mirrors repeat the internally lit space to create a magical infinity mirror effect for the user to remember.

Patents

.

Image Credits

Photography: Bryan Aellen