Daily Crowd Surfing, No Mosh Pit Required
Snug as Sardines is a playing card deck inspired by tin can art and the organised chaos of Indian life.
Packaging Design
Project Overview
Timeline: March-April, 2025
My Role: Concept Development, Illustration System, Card Design, Packaging Design
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop
The brief was to design a custom playing card deck based on a design theme or movement. I was drawn to the bold, graphic illustrations on vintage sardine cans, but wanted to create something that felt closer to home. Snug as Sardines reimagines the French deck through everyday Indian experiences of being packed together.
Each suit explores a different kind of togetherness: Hearts for family chaos (Diwali gatherings, beach trips, four people in one bed), Clubs for going out (markets, concerts, four friends on a scooty), Diamonds for public spaces (local trains, swimming pools), and Spades for the absurd moments (crowded classrooms, packed elevators, even a shared coffin). The face cards are loaded with visual puns and references that anyone who's grown up in India will instantly get.
The design system pulls from sardine can art-tight compositions, bold colours, playful typography. The packaging mirrors an actual tin can with a wrapped label aesthetic. The challenge was creating 52 unique cards plus packaging that all felt like one cohesive set while keeping each illustration fresh and specific.
What started as a class assignment became something people actually remember me by. Turns out, when you design something about shared experiences with enough humour and detail, it sticks.