Rising Stars

I was asked to design certificates for the West Gippsland Football Competition Rising Star Awards. During early discussions, I proposed an alternative approach: creating a set of collectible trading cards that could act as a more meaningful keepsake for nominated players.

The cards were designed around a clear, repeatable layout system. Player names, award titles, and club logos are given priority through consistent hierarchy and spacing, ensuring the information is easy to locate at a glance.

Typography was chosen for clarity and legibility at small sizes, and the layout was structured to accommodate a wide range of player photography without compromising readability. Colour is used in a controlled way to reflect club identity while maintaining consistency across the full set.

Following the success of the first release, I was asked to return and design a second set, establishing the trading cards as an ongoing, annual component of the Rising Star Awards.

Stack of cards featuring a young male football player holding a red football, with text 'ZAC BANKS RISING STAR NOMINATION' and a logo, on a white surface.
Stack of sports trading cards featuring young female volleyball players, with one card in front showing a player preparing to hit a volleyball, and the cards are titled with the names Kahra Maloney and Maya A McDonald, indicating rising star nominations for 2024.
Sports trading cards featuring a female athlete playing Australian rules football, with one card labeled 'Zack Walker' and the other 'Zac Banks,' both indicating they are rising star nominees for 2024.
Stacked sports trading cards featuring young female athletes, one playing volleyball and the other playing basketball.
Stack of trading cards with one on top featuring a young male athlete in a red and blue uniform kicking a football, with text indicating Rising Star and season nomination, named Bailey Hennessey.
Stack of trading cards featuring female athletes in volleyball uniforms, with one card showing Maya McDonald holding a volleyball and another showing Myla Sheehan in a serving position, with text indicating their names and the 2025 season nomination.
Stacks of trading cards featuring young athletes in sports uniforms, titled 'Rising Star' for the 2025 season, with individual names Thomas Cornwall and Yianni Caffieri.
Sports trading cards featuring women volleyball players in red and yellow uniforms; the front card highlights Alexis Tainton with her name, and the back card features another player, Mileena, with her name partially visible.

“We gave Nate a very boring description of what we were looking for, after consultation with him he showed us his idea’s of turning this into something dynamic. The end result was way above our expectations.

— West Gippsland Football Netball Competition

© 2025 Nate Tessari