NOCT

Creating the tools needed for card traders to succeed in their business.

NOCT is a Los Angeles–based brand on a mission to empower card traders with the tools they need to thrive. As the card collecting and trading industry surged during the pandemic, many traders and entrepreneurs were transporting thousands of dollars' worth of cards in shoeboxes and ziplock bags. NOCT set out to change that.

Design a first of it's kind bag to help card traders to store and carry around their cards without the hassle.
A sling bag with a modular inner case that holds up to 30 graded cards and 100 card savers that allow card traders to travel without the drag.
Traders used to carry their cards in a shoe box, we changed that.

The Gem Sling Bag sold out at initial launch and received love calls and reviews from the community.
Eric Meyer, Anthony Cerda
Fall 2021

From the conversations we identified and uncovered what matters to the users and areas of design opportunity.

Learnings and insights that guided our design process

Before the pandemic, card trading was seen as a niche hobby for enthusiasts. By 2021, it had transformed into a booming business, with people trading cards for profit. We wanted to speak with some card traders to understand the landscape.
During a series of 45 minute interviews, we used two exercises to surface card traders workflows, needs, pain points and hopes. These conversations centered around three key areas—how trade workflows or operations look like, how assets are transported, methods used to manage assets at home.
Calvin / Hobbyist

"When going to a show, would hand select on average 50 cards from thousands of cards and put them in a shoe box and put it in my backpack."
Riley / Trader

"Card trading is a fun investment. It is easy to keep track of sports that I follow. I don’t need to do too much research and there is money to be made."
Wylie / Industry Expert & Organizer

"I've been collecting since mid 90’s and picked it up again around 2.5 yrs go. It's nice to have accessibility of being able to turn it into an income. Who doesn’t like entrepreneurship?"
Bobby / Online Trader

"Market is skyrocketing and it took me 2 months to understand it. Sports card trading is almost like an online casino. It’s a gamble. There is memorabilia and more and more people are jumping into the industry."
Learning 1

Cards come in many different sizes, shapes and forms—Traders need to group and organize different cards frequently and are constantly thinking of how to store and carry them safely.
Learning 2

Traders don't want to stand out from the crowd—some carry hundreds of thousands of dollar worth of assets to shows; they don't want to be seen as carrying around valuables.
Learning 3

Traders display their cards differently depending on the opportunity—raw card sellers invite buyers to browse through everything, while graded card sellers showcase only select cards they’re willing to trade.
Learning 4

Collectors are deeply protective of their cards, knowing that each card’s condition directly impacts its value.
Learning 5

The number of cards brought to shows are carefully selected and curated based on travel distance, how often they attend shows and intent.
Learning 6

People seek something familiar that fits naturally into their existing habits—something that lets them carry easily as small white boxes and a few graded cards.
Opportunity Area 1

Deceptive yet fashionable—design a stylized exterior that is familiar and doesn't grab attention as carrying valuables.
Opportunity Area 2

Enable traders to have strategic freedom—quickly release and adjust carrying methods to approach buyers.
Opportunity Area 3

Adjustable and protective compartments—type and quantity of cards traders carry vary depending on shows.
Opportunity Area 4

Insert and go storage/portable inserts—a system of bags and inserts that enable traders to both stock and transport assets.

We directed our design and explorations based on the learnings and needs we gathered from traders.

Traders noted that the number of cards they carry depends on the show and their goals. We explored an expandable concept using paper mockups to quickly build on the idea.

Developing and maturing the design through hands on prototyping.

Here is the design we landed on and the features that traders would find useful.

A daily carry–style bag designed to conceal its contents—giving traders peace of mind while carrying thousands of dollars’ worth of cards on the road.

Swappable inner cases let traders customize their organization system, categorizing different assets into dedicated compartments. They can easily hot-swap cases based on the show or trading intent.

Velcro-fixed adjustable dividers offer granular organization for greater efficiency.

Fidlock hardware lets traders snap straps into place magnetically and slide to release—making it easy to switch carrying styles in the moment.

TPU-coated nylon—a durable, water-resistant material designed to protect valuables wherever you travel.

NOCT Gem Sling Bag launched in the summer of 2022 and was well received by the community.

After a year of hard work, the NOCT Gem Sling Bag launched in the summer of 2022 and quickly sold out within the community.

Sport cards with style / NOCT Gem Sling Review from card trader Sam Rothstein.