Board games and card games, that’s what makes Dirk and Dieuwertje tick. Having fun with friends. When we started brainstorming together for ideas for a birth announcement, it was clear that the card should have at least a passing reference to board games. A geeky baby card.
‘Why not go all the way?,’ I suggested. A card that looks like it is part of an existing board or card game. A very geeky baby card.
Terraforming Mars
Dieuwertje and Dirk liked that idea. But, what game to imitate? They play a lot of Terraforming Mars, as do their friends. Lots of their fellow board gamers would recognise the style, so that’s what we chose.
Funny rules text
Imitating a playing card like this seems easier than it is. There are so many small details, icons, and colours that every little mistake can make it look less ‘real’. It helped that I’m a Terraforming Mars player myself. This also allowed me to write a funny rules text for the ‘project card’. Translation for non-players: children are expensive.
I had a blast finding out how the original card’s elements were designed, and creating variants in the same style. Mixing existing elements from the game with new ones I made.
A regular Terraforming Mars card isn’t folded, so we had to improvise for the inside. The trickiest part? I don’t fully agree with some of the choices made by the original Terraforming Mars graphic designer—I had a hard time not ‘correcting’ some aspects!
Alternate for non-geeks
The geeky baby card was a great success with the board gaming crowd. Dirk even contacted FryxGames, Terraforming Mars’s publisher. They were proud that their design was used for announcing such a life event.
And what about the less geeky family, friends, and acquaintances? They got an alternate card I made to be a bit more traditional. The style matches that of the geeky one, but only subtly.
Are you looking for a very specific design?
Tell me what your geeky hobby is, and I’ll try to put it in the design! Even if it’s not a game, I’d love to dive into your niche. Have a look at the other baby cards I made to get a few more ideas.