I take great pride in my name and heritage. The Merrill name has deep roots in England, France, and Norway, and for my kitsch project, I wanted to design something that would be special and personal to my family. I chose to create a card case that represents my family crest.

At the helm of the case, I placed the peacock—a symbol of fashion and elegance, much like the Merrills, who were known for their sense of style. On the inside, I incorporated a fleur-de-lis pattern, reflecting our ties to France. On the side of the case, I included a design my daughter had drawn on her arm the day I was searching for design elements. She also helped me come up with the design on the back of the playing cards, making this a true daddy-daughter collaboration.

On the face of the cards, I illustrated my mother, and I plan to design illustrations of my father and all 10 of my siblings. The colors were, of course, inspired by the beauty of the peacock, which ties the whole design together.

For the typography, I used a modified version of Stinger Variable for the Merrill logo and BD Orange Vf for the “Playing Cards” label at the bottom of the card case. These fonts complement the overall theme, adding a contemporary yet personal touch to the design.