Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Rosy Palamara of the Science Deck

I love science! Science teaches us about our place in the universe, helps us understand our world better and the advancement of technology that improve our quality of life. You can help others fall in love with science with this unique deck of playing cards!

Created by Rosy Palamara. the Science Deck is a custom deck of playing cards inspired by it’s four main fields of study- Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Technology. It features important elements and discoveries in science as well as important scientists presented in a sleek blueprint format. The artistic design on a subtle grey background provides readability and adds to the pleasing aesthetics of deck. A lot of thought have been put into the design and illustration of the deck.

For example, each of the suits represent a different field of science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Technology), the numerical cards features an important discovery or invention in science and the courts have been composed to represent important scientists each within their speciality of field.

We managed to have a quick chat with Rose about her design background, the inspiration and the design evolution of the Science Deck and her thoughts about the growth of crowd-funded playing cards.

Can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?
I have been an artist, well forever. I have studied Graphic Design, Photography and Fine Art, and therefore I cannot help but see the world through designer’s eyes. I have designed everything from gardens to book illustrations. I also consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to create something I would like and something meaningful to me, and this is where the Science Deck has come about.

This is your first Kickstarter project. What motivated you to create your own deck of cards?
The Science Deck was first a vision in my mind while playing poker, as I do often and immediately thought this is something I needed to do. The fact that each card can be a work of art that is also useful as a game really inspired me to create this deck. I see many decks that are so similar and traditional that even as a collector I was unmoved by what was being produced. I saw an opportunity to satisfy this urge for a deck to be unique and memorable.

What is your inspiration behind the Science Deck? How did you come up with the idea?
The idea came about mainly because apart from being a designer I am a complete nerd. Everything about Science has a magical quality, an element of discovery. Science holds the answers to so many questions for mankind, and our future. Science encompasses everything from the way our bodies work to what is beyond the stars. So the inspiration for this deck has come about by combining design, science and playing cards. Three things I am passionate about.

How much time did you spend working on the deck and can you briefly go through the design evolution of one of your unique card design?
I began designing and developing the Science Deck 8 months ago. The design process was very different to what I imagine traditional decks to be like in that every single one of the 52 cards needed research, investigating and their aesthetic appeal over the whole deck needed assessment. The suits were assigned scientific fields of study, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and technology. The most important discovery became the Aces, further scientific concepts graced the number cards 2 through to 10. Notable Scientists were chosen as the court cards.

The design process began with my vision to for the deck to have a classic appeal and although I attempted to keep the style relatively simple the process was long. The portraits for example commenced with the careful placement of individually shaped lines to form the faces, hair and bodies. Then the technique of shading with the use of dots, which I will admit I pondered the size and placement of each dot with an excessive amount of thought that bordered on obsessive.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
The Joker cards took me a while to decide upon and then when I realised, it was a bit of a “ah ha” moment, they needed to be something the same but also different, Schrödinger's cat (Dead and Alive) and the principle in quantum theory of this paradox was deemed a logical way of describing this.

What are your thoughts about the continuous strong growth of playing card projects on Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is such a great platform for artists and designers to create a project and reach so many people. The Science Deck project has had backers from all over the world. You can’t always know how others will view your work. Kickstarter generates an honest representation of how good a deck is. Kickstarter has become a gathering place for people to support projects they believe in and for creators to launch campaigns. The accelerating growth of playing card decks on Kickstarter I think means better quality decks being produced overall. I think many more people are not just viewing decks as a game but also a piece of art as a whole. I have collected playing cards for many years and I personally am elated to see so many new exciting decks being created.

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks?
I enjoy decks that offer variety and originality. So my top 3 right now would have to be the ‘Ultimate deck’, ‘Playing Arts’ and ‘Seronda’ for its classic elegance.



Thanks for your time, Rose. All the best! At the time of writing, the project is 73% funded with 10 days to go. If want to support the Science Deck, you can find it on Kickstarter here. 


Pledge starts from AUD$12 and there are multiple add-ons available such as the popular uncut sheet and the digital download of the cards.