Protected Pack: A passion project, custom illustrated playing card deck featuring near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critical and extinct species. 

The Deck: Protected Pack includes 54 creatures, some well known, others that don’t get enough notice. The variety of sea, plant, mammal, reptile, avian, and insect life was chosen somewhat randomly but an effort to keep a variety was top of mind. Face cards will feature a theme, like our Queen Cats, while other animals are shuffled throughout.

Printed by USPCC on Classic Stock

Standard Poker Size

52 Cards + 2 Jokers

Air-Cushion Finish

Custom illustrations on every card

Original artwork on tuck and backs

Illustrated and designed by Bracks Collective

The aim of this campaign is to bring awareness to endangered and near endangered species and encourage players to support conservation efforts and consider their impact on these creatures. 

Suits: Each suit represents a different category and level of extinction based on the directories from www.iucnredlist.org and www.worldwildlife.org. Hearts are "Near Threatened", Clubs are "Vulnerable", Diamonds are "Endangered", and Spades are "Critically Endangered". The Jokers will feature two extinct species.

The members of Bracks Collective each have a unique design style, and a deck of cards seemed like the perfect way to combine our work into a cohesive project. When we decided to illustrate endangered species, each of us selected to draw the creatures that interested us most. We established some guidelines and a color palette to keep some consistency in the deck, but left much of the creativity up to each artist. 

All of the artwork is not yet finalized for the deck, but we wanted to share some of our sketches and finished drawings here. We will post updates as more cards are finished.

Unlike many other programs, Chatham University’s Interdisciplinary Design master’s program is welcoming and collaborative. Where other programs might encourage competition amongst students, Chatham encouraged collaborative, constructive feedback in an infectiously inspiring environment. As Chatham grads, we missed this collaboration, feedback, and environment and created one of our own. While we weren’t all at Chatham at exactly the same time, we crossed paths and connected. Each with a different niche or speciality, unique style, and different experience to bring to the project. And thus Bracks Collective was born. And we hope this is the first of many collaborative passion projects. 

Bree Rice | @breerice_ Bree is a freelance designer, marketer, and chips and salsa aficionado. She specializes in brand collateral and standards, digital assets, signage, and print collateral, such as billboards, editorial pieces, and mail, but also has a strong passion for letters. When she’s not working, you can find her swimming, traveling, or hanging out with her Australian Shepherds.

Rachel Keeney | @keeney.design Rachel is a graphic designer and illustrator with a background in biology. She works closely with small businesses and nonprofit organizations to offer services including branding, advertising, publications, illustration, promotional items, and event materials. Her personal work features detailed, colorful scientific and ecological illustrations. In her free time, Rachel is usually hanging out in her garden with her cats and chickens.

Alexa Frankovitch | @alexafrankovitch Alexa is a photographer that loves love and also donuts. Alexa specializes in weddings, portraits, and events photography, but also has a background in graphic design. Alexa teams up with her husband, Evan to capture some incredible moments. When she’s not behind the camera, Alexa can be found spending time with her husband and pup, hiking, and exploring.

Cassie Rupert | @cassiexmichele Cassie is a multimedia designer and marketing professional with a background in project management and copy writing. She specializes in brand strategy and creates sophisticated cohesive identities and brand stories. Cassie also dabbles in animation and has recently been animating logos to bring brands to life. When not designing, you can find Cassie reading, hiking with her pup, traveling, and exploring.

Kandice Hartner | @khartdesigns Kandice is a graphic designer who wears many hats including: college educator, senior editor at a publishing company, and owner of a freelance design business. She works with small businesses to build brands, publications, event materials, video assets, and never says no to learning something new. When not in design mode, you'll find her swinging in her hammock with a book or building her sewing skills.

Sarah Huth | @sarahmhuth Sarah is a graphic designer and illustrator with a background in film. She currently works in advertising as a senior designer, with a focus on packaging, digital media, brand identity, and print design. Additionally, she enjoys filling her evenings with animation, printmaking, and illustration projects. Outside of wearing a million creative hats, Sarah loves exploring historic cemeteries, collecting mid-century packaging, filling her apartment with plants, and picking up too many extra hobbies. 

We knew we wanted to work on something collaborative, where each of our styles could be showcased while still creating a harmonious project. The endangered species were not the first subject the group considered, but it was quickly one that all six of us felt passionate about. While not all of our projects may be centered around causes, the endangered population is certainly a worthy first cause. 

Bracks Mission Statement: Bracks strives to create an accepting and encouraging environment and foster collaborative projects into reality and work as a collective. Bracks hopes to uplift fellow creators and support female led organizations and causes for good.