Diwali Playing Cards Gift Box

Design: Shwetha Raja
Location: India
Project Type: Produced
Client: Diwali Gift Box
Product Launch Location: India
Packaging Contents: PLaying Cards
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Cardboard
Printing Process: Offset, Digital Printing

Diwali is the festival of joy, gifting, giving and lights. This Diwali we decided to customize a set of playing cards to gift to our clients. Diwali 2020 has been the culmination of one hell of a year, and we have learnt to appreciate the smaller things, and our family. We designed these playing cards, to allow our clients to spend a little more time with their family, and to enjoy a good game with a colourful, Indian styled Diwali Deck of Cards.

I have spent many a night, playing various games of cards late into the night laughing with my cousins and siblings, long before we had Instagram or our mobile phone to keep us company. It’s been so many years and I still have some of my fondest memories while playing a game of Rummy. So I decided to gift people the same set of memories, and take them down memory lane, to simpler times.

While designing the cards, I looked at various references, ideas and finalized on reproducing our cultural identity through the design. Ideally, like reviving the spirit of family time, we are reviving Indian artforms as well. I recreated each of the characters using Madhubani, Kalamkari and Mughal Paintings as a reference. As an ode to Indian art forms and the spirit of joy, I made the characters hold Diwali elements such as a diya, a firecracker and of course a delicious ghee laddoo.

Diwali isn’t complete without festivity and colours, and I created wonderfully bright colours, and these boxes were gifted with sweets, and little diyas in the spirit of festivity. Happy Diwali to everyone!

What’s unique about this project are the details and individual designs. We have all forgotten the simpler times, and this set of cards, brings back both Indian art forms as well as the nostalgia of games, fun and delightful memories. Celebrating Diwali 2020, with family, friends and appreciating each of our little blessings and delights of life. The cards were printed in packs, with a little message of love behind each pack creating a unique Diwali Deck.