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I have created a new deck on Kickstarter and wanted to see what you all think. It is themed on patents and shows patent images on each card. Here is the link to the preview:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/12 ... n=ee957fbd

I added your pics to your post. My first question is did you just cut and paste images from various sources on the internet or did you draw these from scratch? Also I know from experience that most will comment on the fact the cards are one way. You should be getting a few comments soon enough

Good luck

I like the typed indices and hand colored look of the pips. What I don't like is the redundancy of the multiple pips below the index. Seems excessive and goes against the simplicity of the design. I also like the simple back.

The patent images are pretty much copy and pasted, minus a little cleanup you've done. Personally I don't like the concept for a deck I'd collect or pay $10 for. Seems more like a novelty deck I'd pick up at a museum rather than something I'd play with. However it does have the merit of a conversation starter.

I agree with Eog, the theme isnt something cohesive, well more specifically it doesnt make a deck of cards. And i really dont like what you did with the pips, i know you want to show the actual pips because the patents took over it, but it doesnt look good.

Yes the images were taken from the United States Patent Office and cleaned up. I wanted to keep the patent images how they were and doing new artwork would take away from the authenticity. I can definitely see the point with new artwork being more collectible and that makes sense. Also the pips do need to be changed. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

The pips themselves are quite nice -but the layout isn't too pleasing (though I can see why as the other guys have said)

I like the borderless back too, but I'm not sure how it fits the theme?

For me to buy this deck I'd want custom court cards of various inventors. The one-way patent sketches wouldn't bother me too much on the number cards.

I agree with the rest about the unnecessary pips and back design being too generic.

Probably painted himself into a corner by specifying one inventor per suit. Maybe several of their portraits? Dunno how he'd figure out the Queens though.

Unless he broadens the theme a bit to include US patents that changed history. Allows for a wider variety including gender.

http://www.women-inventors.com/Stephanie-Kwolek.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.women-inventors.com/Dr-Grace ... Hopper.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Neat idea, but I don't think it fits well as cards. Now an uncut might be interesting, but really the pips and card feature will just distract. Make it a collage poster instead of a card deck and that might be interesting, but then it's no longer cards and wrong forum. I find patents and drawings quite interesting, especially classic ones. Just not sure this is the best medium for that idea.

Perhaps if the courts were portraits and the patent drawings were a subtle background on the number cards? So more patent themed than in your face "here's a bunch of patent drawings that were turned into cards"?

Your pips have different vertical heights. If you had, let's say, each of the 7s side-by-side, the length of the column would differ between the cards. I think you've missed a chance to bring in original artwork. Following the suggestions above, adding drawings of these inventors as court cards can (1) break up the monotony of patent drawing after patent drawing after patent drawing, (2) clearly distinguish court cards from number cards so that card players regain some utility, (3) demonstrate to value to potential backers so that they're not just receiving curated cut and paste images. I'd have to really like patents to forgo a Heretic deck, or a Frontier deck, for example. And (this is partially a question of personal taste) I don't care for the back design. I don't see how it fits in with the theme of the deck--it seems out of place.

What drew you to the topic of patents? As Nate suggests, it seems a little... shoe-horned into this medium. Who do you have in mind as your target audience? And following on that: why USPCC? With them, you're saddling yourself with higher prices, higher minimum quantities, and you're not even using their branding. Sure, cardists, magicians, Bike collectors etc. will prefer USPCC over a boutique printer, but are you really going to get that much interest from those groups? Will your target audience be big enough to meet that minimum threshold, and will they care about a magic finish or the use/non-use of the Bicycle brand?

You're in a bit of a middle ground between piquing the interest of people who like/know patents, and popular interest in these inventors in particular. I'm not sure the deck is strong enough to "hook" much of either group. I don't have suggestions for what to improve, though. Let me ponder that a while longer.

PS: Have you seen the book that came out of this project?

I seriously dig the joker though

I don't give a shit what your theme is nor the content in your cards. That is for you the artist to decide. But first we need to have a functioning deck. I think you know to drop the multiple suits by now. The size of the rank of the card is fine in your index but make the suit bigger. You dropped the big old suit badge. Which is fine; It leaves more room for your art. You need to know what the card is at a distance. Check out this example for sizing for the index. I think this might become the norm....
Also make a fan of your back of card. Lets see what it would it looks like before we start bitch'in . Check out this example. I like that you have look see at your Kickstarter Preview. That shows that you have balls.

I actually really like your back design and idea. I also do like your pips. I agree that the back and the patent idea doesn't seem to be too connected but I actually like the old artwork that you pulled from the patent office. Maybe figuring out a way to use some of that to create a back that ties a little bit more with the front of the cards? I would save that back design though, I think it is a really cool design but I would save it for something else.