Helvetica meets playing Cards = Helveticards

What happens when the world’s most famous typeface meets one of the world’s most cherished pastimes? Swiss-style awesome design is what.

Designed with both the typophile and card player in mind, Helveticards are the beautiful, usable alternative to the traditional deck of cards that both Vignelli and Brunson would be happy to deal.

For just $10 US you can buy a pack here.

Printed on premium quality, high gloss, white core playing card stock. Packaged in hard plastic case.

> update

Here are some addition comments Ryan has given us about his design.

Hey all,

This is Ryan Myers, the designer of Helveticards. First, let me thank you so much for featuring the cards on your blog. What started as a personal exercise has turned into something way bigger.

I wanted to offer a little insight to the design of the cards in hopes of clarifying the reason they are designed the way they are.

First, I’m not sure that Lennington is on point in saying there are too many unnecessary elements. The design, in theory, displays the same amount of information that the traditional deck does.

I suppose it could be argued that the ‘Five of Clubs’ in the corner may be a little difficult to use. This was incorporated more as a tongue-in-cheek celebration of Bauhaus-style Swiss design, bringing elements down to their simplest form both visually and linguistically.

I think I would fully disagree that these would be terrible for poker. If you really think through how you interact with the cards, the main visual elements are color, suit and number. In a traditional set of cards, the number itself is a minor part of the design, not easily seen in a community deal. This design brings the number to the forefront of the card.

Also in a traditional deck, the center area of the card is useless. The layout of the suit icons is completely unintuitive. By grouping the icons, the user learns the location and can easily find it.

Design for design’s sake? Sure, to a certain extent. What isn’t? If that weren’t the case, we’d all be driving tear-drop shaped cars. But, we appreciate individuality and beauty in color, texture, and shape.

Thanks again for your feedback, both positive and negative. That is what helps me become a better designer.

Cheers,
Ryan