INDEX: Collectibles brand identity case study

Industry: Trading card collecting and collectibles
Year: 2026
Scope: Logo, typography, colour palette, brand guidelines
Applications: Graded card cases, app, social media, apparel, smartwatch, billboards
Client need: Collectors need a brand they can trust with the cards they love.
Outcome: One identity, from the graded card case to the city billboard.

The problem

Collectors need a brand they can trust with the cards they love.

INDEX is built for collectors of sports and trading cards, with the line "Collect what moves you" and the promise "Individual cards. Curated collections."

The brand had to feel bold enough for collector culture and clean enough to sit on graded card cases, an app and street billboards without losing clarity.

INDEX typography and colour palette: Neue Montreal headings and a palette of black, slate grey, light grey, off white and ice blue

The solution

A bold italic wordmark, two typefaces and one cool, calm palette.

The INDEX wordmark is set in heavy italic letters with a custom D, drawn on a slanted grid so the name feels fast and forward moving.

Neue Montreal carries headlines such as "The future is collective", IBM Plex Mono adds a technical, catalogue like voice, and a palette of black, slate grey, light grey, off white and ice blue keeps every touchpoint calm and consistent.

INDEX social media posts: "Big passion, new possibilities", a branded cap and "The future is collective"

INDEX branded graded trading card case on a black plinth

The result

One identity, from the graded card case to the city billboard.

The system covers the logo, clear space, app icon, colour and typography rules, misuse examples and a guidelines document, so every application follows the same logic.

Applications include graded card cases, an app store listing with the line "Collect. Track. Invest.", social media posts, a cap, a t-shirt, a smartwatch face and outdoor campaigns such as "Coming soon" and "One card, many possibilities".

Two INDEX graded card cases holding a baseball card and a trading card game card

INDEX street billboards: "Collect what moves you" and "One card, many possibilities"

INDEX app store listing with the line "Collect. Track. Invest." next to a black INDEX t-shirt

INDEX "Coming soon" poster in a subway: "The cards you love, soon in a new light"

What I delivered

Logo design
A heavy italic INDEX wordmark with a custom D, built on a slanted grid.
Colour and typography
Black, slate grey, light grey, off white and ice blue, with Neue Montreal and IBM Plex Mono.
App icon and app listing
The wordmark in a dark rounded icon and an app store page.
Graded card cases
Branded label design for protective card cases.
Social media and outdoor
Instagram posts, billboards and a "Coming soon" campaign.
Brand guidelines
Logo, clear space, colour, type and misuse rules in one document.

Tools and credits

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Figma

The full project, with every board, is also published on Behance.

View INDEX on Behance Brand identity design service

Collectibles branding: what this project shows

Lessons for collectibles, trading card and hobby brands.

INDEX is a trading card collecting and collectibles project by Jakaria Mahmud, a senior brand identity designer working with clients in the USA, UK, Europe and Australia. The work covered logo, typography, colour palette, brand guidelines.

Collectors care about trust, condition and community. A collectibles brand has to look credible on small labels and cases, feel exciting in a crowded social feed and stay consistent from the app to the shop.

What other collectibles brands can take from it:

A wordmark that stays readable on small labels and app icons
A calm palette that lets the cards and products stand out
Guidelines that keep cases, app, social and merchandise consistent

Read the brand guidelines checklist, see the brand identity design service, or how I work with clients in the USA, UK, Australia and Norway.

FAQ

How much does a brand identity like INDEX cost?

Projects start with the Launch plan at $799 one time, which covers the logo, a brand starter kit and one landing page. A full identity with guidelines, like this trading card collecting and collectibles project, runs on the Partner plan at $1,999 per month. Prices are fixed and public on the pricing page.

How long does a project like this take?

One to two weeks for a logo and starter kit, and three to five weeks for a full identity with guidelines and website.

Do I own the final files?

Yes. You get every file, the Figma source and full rights to the logo and identity.

Can you design a brand like this for my company?

Yes. I work with founders in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia and worldwide. Book a free 30 minute call and you get a clear plan and a fixed price for your scope.

What should a collectibles brand identity include?

A collectibles brand identity should include a logo that works on small labels and app icons, a palette that does not compete with the items themselves, clear typography for prices and grades, social and outdoor templates, and brand guidelines so every case, page and post looks the same.

Who designed the INDEX brand identity?

INDEX was designed by Jakaria Mahmud, a senior brand identity designer and logo designer who works with startups and growing businesses in the USA, UK, Europe and Australia. The full project is published on jakaria.design and Behance.