When was the last time you played cards? I have to admit, for me, it’s been a while. But I still remember that a traditional deck of cards has the King as the highest suit, then the Queen and the Jack.
What if your deck of cards looked different than the typical ones and was more inclusive because of that?
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That’s exactly what this one designer from the Netherlands decided to create.
Indy Mellink came up with an idea to design a deck of cards that was more inclusive and gender-neutral. So she made a deck with no King, Queen, or Jack.
Instead of the traditional hierarchies, Mellink used something else.
She marked the cards with gold bars, silver coins, and bronze shield coins.
Mellink also realized that the people used on the typical playing cards were usually white royalty, so she wanted to change that, too.
Isn’t that such a great idea?
Now the cards don’t even represent any person, gender, or race. They’re perfectly inclusive that way. So anyone playing them won’t feel left out. I think that’s so wonderful to see.
How did Mellink come up with such an interesting and creative idea?
It came to her during the lockdown in the Netherlands. While stuck at home, and to keep boredom at bay, she played plenty of games with her family.
She started questioning why certain gendered cards were worth more than others.
And that’s when Mellink decided to design a different deck of cards. She started thinking of cards that could be as inclusive as possible. So she created them based on coins instead.
Mellink thought that everybody already recognizes gold, silver, and bronze from sports.
So this system would be easy for all to follow. It pretty much translates well to every language. Then, she kept the rest of the deck as is.
At first, she only showed the cards to her close friends and family.
But they quickly fell in love with them and wanted more for themselves. So she ordered 50 more decks, and they disappeared as fast as the first few.
Afterward, she ended up ordering 500 sets, and the idea just took off from there.
Mellink doesn’t want people to replace their old decks. She only offers this new deck as a possible alternative should anybody feel inclined to buy it instead.
So how do you feel about these new gender and race-neutral playing cards?
Do you think it’s a good idea and a great alternative for some? I think it’s a unique way to make everybody, regardless of gender or race, feel included.
h/t My Modern Met
