T1D Superstars
Trading cards that feature and inspire Type-1 Diabetics.
My Role
Designer
Duration
10 Weeks
Tools Used
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Cricut
Key Contributions
Concept Ideation
Project Management
User Research
Branding
Print Implementation
JP Reilly, the inspiration behind these cards
My T1D Superstar
Inspiring the Diabetic Community
Stanford athlete, software engineer, avid surfer, amazing friend, family man and a Type-1 Diabetic.
My boyfriend JP was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes when he was 14, yet he channeled his diagnosis as a superpower rather than an inhibitor.
I knew I wanted to bring this inspiration to other Type-1 Diabetics, specifically newly diagnosed kids.
The Dilemma
Type-1 Diabetes is not an obvious physical condition, which can result in newly diagnosed T1Ds feeling isolated.
How can we bring awareness to the amazing community of Type-1 Diabetics?
Honing in on Trading Cards
Confirming the Target Audience
I conducted mini user interviews with kids and learned that trading cards are still relevant in today's elementary and middle school social scene. This confirmation pushed me to pursue trading cards for T1D kids aged 6-14.
Do you have trading cards?
"I have some pokemon cards upstairs. Oh, and I have some athlete cards from Sports Illustrated kids. I don't really trade them but I like to see how many points they are worth and their superpower abilities."
Elle, 9 yrs
Why do kids trade cards?
"Bragging rights when they are one of a kind, or if they are cool to have on display. I heard of a cool card from 1996 that is really really important."
Shea, 12 yrs
How do you use your trading cards?
"At recess we trade them pretty often, I have a lot in my drawer now. My favorite is my Lamar jackson rookie card."
Trent, 13 yrs
Getting Them in Front of Kids
User Feedback
To make sure I was designing for the young target audience, I presented the following design iterations to 6 to 14 year-old kids to get their feedback. Of the 9 kids I surveyed, 100% of participants gravitated toward option 3.
Option #1
Subtle, Graphic
Option #2
Timeless, Structured
Option #3
Bold, Modern, Dynamic
Locking in the Design
Scaling a Base Template
Once I was ready to move forward with the design direction, I created a base template to expedite the manual design of each trading card.
The card architecture mimicked a classic trading card with a few flairs specific to Diabetes. The overall design included a dynamic photo and name lock up, with accompanying information and portrait on the back.
Researching the Superstars
Pinpointing Who to Feature
With the design ready to roll, I began the research portion to determine whom to feature on the cards. I started with a list of over 40 renowned Type-1 Diabetics and whittled it down to the final 25 based on profession, gender, and information available to include the broadest subset of the T1D community.
Wrapping up the Card Designs
Final Designs
The final 25 trading cards featured an array of musicians, athletes, actors, and politicians, all of who have Type-1 Diabetes.
What do Sonia Sotomayor, Nick Jonas, and Jay Cutler all have in common? Type-1 Diabetes. Which was news to me as well!
Bringing the Deck to Life
Final Prints
The cards truly came to life when the full deck was printed and packaged. Each card is 2.48” x 3.46” with square corners. They are printed double-sided on wax cardstock and packaged in a plastic case with a sticker cover as an MVP solution.
Throwing in Some Fun
Additional Design Assets
I designed a sticker series as a complementary aspect to the deck of cards. They are designed to show Type-1 Diabetic pride and provide comic relief to the constant highs and lows.
Sticker Printing
I printed and die-cut the sticker sheets to fit inside the deck of cards. I used a Cricut to print the initial batches of stockers, and have since ordered them to be professionally printed on vinyl paper.
Branding
Additional Design Assets
I designed the branding suite to be bold, simple, and resonate with kids. It also needed to be functional and apply to a dynamic series of trading cards that would have their own style but need to tie back to the overarching brand.
Brand Asset #1
Logos
Due to legibility, the primary logo is used only on packaging and future marketing assets while the secondary logo is legible on the trading cards.
Brand Asset #2
Colors
Blue is the national color for Type-1 Diabetes so I wanted to keep that uniform for this extension of T1D resources. The red accent color is a nod at the blood tests T1Ds take multiple times a day.
Brand Asset #3
Typography
Francois One is narrow yet playful which was fitting for the header font to be legible on the small cards. The nice roundness of Rubik added a friendliness to the body text.
Final Thoughts
Distributing Smiles and Inspiration
I have distributed decks and stickers to a number of Type-1 Diabetics and they have raved about the products. I have been in touch with a top endocrinologist who is excited by this idea and wants to incorporate it into her outreach to young diabetics. There has also been excitement and feedback around the future opportunity of expanding this concept to other conditions.
My goal is to publically launch the deck in the near future. I plan to partner with a Type-1 Diabetic charity to ensure the proceeds go towards T1D research. I am currently exploring how to get proper approval and copyright usage for each person featured. Stay tuned!
Look what just came in the mail! Thank you so much. So excited to open the playing cards and stickers.
Olivia, 9 yrs old Type-1 Diabetic
JP and Olivia with their Dexcom sensors after meeting at the beach in Mexico.
Want to chat about Diabetes? Ideas on how to launch the cards?
Feel free to get in touch!