Activity ceased in 2022

Market: "Cardistry", skill hobby niche market

Client Profile: zalem industries is a brand I conceived starting from late 2019 aiming at the Cardistry niche market, launched in early 2020. With brutalist and streetwear influences, I made myself a name in the market as one of the best designer. In late 2020, officialized early 2021, the zalem industries brand was acquired by Cardistry Touch, a pioneer brand in Cardistry, who also helped produce video content.

Cardistry is an art of card flourishing derived from magic. After its boom in the late 2010's, and the insertion of streetwear culture within, card deck design saw a complete renewal of which I took part.

zalem industries was part of the commercial video released for the USPCC acquisition by Cartamundi

zalem industries is no longer active, closed in 2022.

Target: Cardists // 16yo - 25yo | Practicing the art of Cardistry regularly | Part of the Instagram community (the core community) | worldwide

My tasks: Art direction, web design, social media "instagram" page design, co-director of each cardistry video released on Youtube.

My approach: Cardistry is a niche where all participants socialize, browse and influence through instagram posts before anything else. Youtube "performance" videos where one cardist showcases his skills through his latest "card flourishing" work. Websites are mainly if only used to sell new deck of cards, hence the user flow should be as brief and to-the-point as possible.

With new releases only happening after the latest sold out, it's a rather simple flow to conceptualize.

It is also worth saying that each deck release is traditionnally accompanied by a 2min+ cardistry video showcasing influent names in the market, also known as "performance" videos. We released, with the help of Cardistry Touch, one "zalem introduction" video as well as four "performance" videos for each 3 decks that zalem industries released. ZALEM INDUSTRIES —INTRODUCTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Fh4kUavFk STAIRS deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Fh4kUavFk MONODAWN deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOkOjjKDyDs SELFLESSHANDS deck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWkCRbttykM&t=50s

Every Cardistry brand's customer journey initially unfolds on Instagram. It's where cardistry artists display their latest creations, skillfully using your deck of cards as their canvas. This visual spectacle sparks interest for the card’s design, leading the viewer to click your brand's name tag in the description (a nomenclature in cardistry, brands are always tagged). Here, the brand's authenticity is scrutinized.

In a community heavily influenced by clout obtained solely by the means of card skills, the questions arise - "Who are you?", "Which big figure do you know/are you attached to?" and "What value do your designs hold?". If the brand passes this scrutiny, the aspiring cardist is then led to the official website to make their purchase.

"To-the-point" userflow

Landing page brings you directly "in-store" with the latest release still available to purchase.

The menu shows three actions: - "in store" where you land on the website, the homepage - "archive" to see the former releases - "upcoming" to see a sneak peak of the deck design coming next after the current release

Product page

Archive —Previous sold out releases

Samples

Below find an example of one of the videos released for zalem Director & editor: Ladislas Toubart Co-Director: Alexandre Matencio Camera: François Dubois