Prohibition Playing Card Designs
The Prohibition Collection was inspired by the 1920s era, with each of the six decks—52 Proof, Absinthe, Rebellion, Disparos, Moonshine, and White Wolf—representing a different vintage alcohol theme for an immersive experience. I even crafted a prototype wooden box to store the decks, using a fence board from the backyard (my wife wasn't thrilled about that part!).
Results
Achieved a smashing success during initial launch, selling over 95% of the 3,000 units available.
My Role
Creative direction and design
Timeline
6 Months
Design
The Prohibition decks were meticulously designed over six months, dedicating each month to perfecting the art direction, creating designs, receiving hard proofs, and finalizing the details. Each deck was housed in a handcrafted wooden collector's box. I initially built a prototype to provide precise dimensions to a woodshop, which then crafted all 3,000 boxes. Every deck was designed with a combination of foil and embossing, and featured custom seals, ensuring no corner was cut in their creation. Both the exterior and interior were meticulously detailed, offering a delightful experience for the handler with hidden Easter eggs throughout.
This was the initial box prototype.
Absinthe
Rebellion
52 Proof
Disparos
White Wolf
Moonshine
Don’t just take my word...
Michael is a great product designer to work with. He is very humble – but don't let that fool you! He does great work, and works hard at improving and building his skill set and craft. Michael was responsible for designing and helping ship many new features across the BuildBook platform. His passion for design and commitment to creating a great experience for customers was contagious, and he's a great guy to work with.
Kris Niles
Principal Designer at Readwise – previously at InVision, Basecamp, BuildBook, and Citrix
I had the pleasure of working closely with Michael, an incredible product designer who always nailed understanding the technical side of our products. He worked seamlessly with developers and product managers, making sure our designs hit the mark for our users. Michael’s thoroughness and eye for detail really set him apart. He consistently offered invaluable feedback, tactfully suggested necessary tweaks, and explained the reasoning behind them. His insights and dedication played a huge part in the success of our projects at BuildBook.
Jayson Lewis
Software Engineer II at Housecall Pro
Michael is an incredible product designer and teammate. As a Product team lead at BuildBook, I got to see just how his talents and dedication positively impacted growth and engagement.
Michael has a real knack for turning complex ideas into beautiful, user-friendly designs. Through numerous feature overhauls and additions, he made my job easy by coming up with design solutions to increase engagement and make customers happier. His attention to detail and understanding of user experience really shined through. What really sets Michael apart is how well he works with everyone. He always made sure to get feedback from product managers, engineers, and marketing folks, relentlessly iterating on designs that met both user needs and business goals. Plus, he explains his design choices clearly, making it easy for everyone to get on board.
I have no doubt that Michael will be a fantastic addition to any team. I highly recommend him and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.
Michael has a real knack for turning complex ideas into beautiful, user-friendly designs. Through numerous feature overhauls and additions, he made my job easy by coming up with design solutions to increase engagement and make customers happier. His attention to detail and understanding of user experience really shined through. What really sets Michael apart is how well he works with everyone. He always made sure to get feedback from product managers, engineers, and marketing folks, relentlessly iterating on designs that met both user needs and business goals. Plus, he explains his design choices clearly, making it easy for everyone to get on board.
I have no doubt that Michael will be a fantastic addition to any team. I highly recommend him and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.
John Shum
Senior Product Manager II at BuildBook
Let’s work together
Discover how my skills and experience can be an asset to your company.
