Belfast’s Whitenoise agency marks 25 years with custom playing cards. Each card features unique graphic design. A celebration of design and play.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Belfast-based agency Whitenoise created a unique and playful project: a custom deck of playing cards. This initiative showcases the agency's graphic design talent and its passion for storytelling. Whitenoise has a history of marking milestones with creative, self-funded projects, including design books and exhibitions. For their 25th anniversary, they wanted to create something special that reflected their creative spirit and client partnerships.  

The project centered around a bespoke deck of playing cards, with each card featuring an original illustration. These illustrations depict pivotal moments in global pop culture between 2000 and 2025. The selection process for these moments was a collaborative effort by the Whitenoise team, who brainstormed events with global and local significance. The final deck serves as a visual archive of the world's defining moments since the agency's founding.  

Unique Graphic Design on Every Card

The design approach for the cards was experimental, with each card featuring a distinct style to reflect the diversity of the events depicted. Some designs are abstract, bold, and graphic, while others are more nuanced and detailed. The Ace of Hearts, for example, represents the emergence of Whitenoise in 2000 and depicts the agency's founding directors.  

From Concept to Creation

Turning the design vision into a physical product required careful attention to detail throughout the production process. After finalizing the 52 illustrations, the artwork was set up for print, ensuring precise alignment, consistent colors, and crisp detailing. Whitenoise partnered with specialist card printing companies to achieve the desired playing card feel, focusing on lamination and texture. The agency also collaborated with a box-making company to design a high-quality, branded tuck box to complement the cards.  

The final stage involved assembling each deck into its box and preparing them for delivery. Whitenoise hand-delivered the cards to their clients as a token of appreciation and to encourage engagement with their work. The deck also offers two additional ways to play: players can guess the event depicted on each card or play a "higher or lower" game.  

The Whitenoise team faced production challenges, including issues with suppliers, but successfully brought the project to completion. The custom deck of playing cards represents Whitenoise's 25-year journey in creativity and their commitment to graphic design and innovation.  

For more information about Whitenoise and their projects, visit their website.

Graphic design artifacts