Kickstarter: 3 Questions with Ethan King of the Proj. Subtle Deck

Currently seeking funds on Kickstarter, the Proj. Shuffle deck is conceptualized by Ethan King, a cardist based in Victoria, Australia. Ethan has been doing cardistry for about 4 years and always had a passion for design. He decided to combine these two interests by curating a new deck of cards. Ethan told Kardify,

Initially, I started designing Proj. Subtle playing cards as a personal design project roughly a year ago. It turned into a polished, final product that I have now decided to release. 

Ethan planned on continuing using Project Shuffle as a platform to share his passion for playing cards and design with the community. Earlier this week, we had a quick chat with Ethan about the inspiration behind the Proj. Subtle deck, support from the community and his favorite flourish and playing cards.

1. What is your inspiration behind the Proj. Subtle deck? How did you come up with the idea?
I have always liked the aesthetic of isometric construction that I learned in depth during design classes at school. I decided to implement this as a core focus of Proj. Subtle's design. This method has been used in the design of both the tuck box and back design.

For the faces, I wanted to create a design that is minimal and clean but still contained elements that enhanced the look of various playing card moves in different categories. The color scheme was important and I took the time to ensure that it is bright and engaging. The design as a whole is understated, and as Cartamundi put it "a great example of making a statement without shouting."

2. We first noticed the deck on Instagram. What do you think of the cardistry community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far?
I have been happy with the support I have received so far. People seem to be most interested in the unique use of color, the distinct look of the back design and face design elements that improve the look of different cardistry moves. At the time of writing, Proj. Subtle's Kickstarter is 63% funded with 25 days to go. I hope that it continues to gain support and funding to make these cards a reality.

3. Finally, what are your favorite flourish and playing card decks? 
I have never really had a 'favorite' flourish or deck of cards. I certainly appreciate the design of them and draw inspiration but they change from time to time. Right now I love Tobias's Hothead 2, Matt's Baton and Leo's 2JZ. In terms of cards, right now I am loving the distinct style portrayed in Superfly's series of playing cards and the direction that Entry has taken with their 'Drops' deck.

If you liked what you read here and would like to support the Proj. Subtle deck, head to Kickstarter here! Pledge starts at AUD$18 (USD$13) and the deck will be printed by Cartamundi on their famous B9 True Linen Finish.