Introduction

When you think of a deck of playing cards, what do you picture? If you're like most people surveyed, you’re picturing Bicycle or Realm playing cards. With a layout where the pip symbols are arranged in ways that are hard to quickly scan with your eyes, and suits that are difficult to quickly tell apart. Many reported struggling to differentiate Clubs and Spades at a glance, and none knew the history behind the deck or the figures on the court cards. During my media design degree, I had the opportunity to develop a deck of cards that focuses down on 3 key things: ease of identification, the history of the deck, and something that players could emotionally connect with and remember. To pin down these traits, I conducted in-depth qualitative and quantitative research. Focusing on surveying and non-verbal behaviour analysis - tracking where players hesitated while identifying cards in rapid succession and observing their physical responses. This was tested against both my deck and a control deck, with continuous surveys after each bout of testing to validate why the deck I crafted could truly be called 'optimal'.

The Solution - Accessible and Player Informed Choices

Rooted in history but shaped by research, this deck prioritises accessible, player-informed design choices. Through rigorous testing, interviews and survey-based feedback, I refined a format that delivers a clear, measurable advantage. Compared to a classic Bicycle deck, the Optimal Deck gives a distinct edge in identification and usability. To quantify it, I ran a controlled experiment:

Testers

Three players tested each deck twice. Every run was recorded, and each player signed a release form.

Task

Correctly identify all 52 cards in rapid succession, moving on only once the current card was right.

Watched for

Where players paused, and how they behaved while pausing.

The results from the final round were striking:

Optimal Deck, median for all 52

1m 07s

Bicycle deck (control), median

1m 36s

Faster with Optimal Deck

29s

A nearly 30-second improvement is remarkable, even with a small sample size: clear proof that thoughtful, player-informed design can have a real impact.

Visually the deck keeps things simple, but not at the cost of character. The font Courier New isn’t there for looks; it’s there because it works. One person I spoke to, who has dyscalculia and dyslexia, said it’s the only font he can read at speed. That stuck with me, and after the first round of testing showed a clear time-based improvement using that font and the proto-layout, it was locked in. The court cards still tip their hat to tradition, using a classic engraved illustration style that anchors the deck in something familiar. The result is a balance: old and new, ornamental and utilitarian, designed not just to look different but to perform differently.

The Solution - Weaving in History

Beyond function, The Optimal Deck and Booklet weave in centuries of history, offering a deeper connection for players. The booklet distills 800 years of card history, beginning in 13th-century China, where most experts believe playing cards originated. It traces their journey through the Mamluk decks, the boom of popularity in Europe, and the religious and cultural impact it had on gambling through the 18th century.
One little-known fact is that each modern French and English court card represents a pre 18th Century historical figure. For example the King of Spades is King David. If we read the biblical text about him not as history but as an interpretation of history then what we end up seeing is a very ambitious man who did anything necessary to gain power - theft, extortion, treason and even murder. There's a whole sequence of deaths that befall those around David, every single one of which works in his benefit. A compelling and successful monarch, and at the same time a vile human being. His story is one of ambition, success, and moral corruption, all captured in a single card. Each of the 12 court cards in the Optimal Deck tells a similarly rich story, turning a simple deck into a gateway to history.

Do you want to grab your own Optimal Deck?

You can order one here.