The 13 front faces of the playing cards are completed but are awaiting feedback from Chris for any changes. I have been thinking about the design of the back of the cards for quite some time, and have decided that including some natural imagery will tie my cards together and confirm a consistent theme running through them. I still want the cards to embody the aesthetic and layout of the traditional playing card, otherwise the concept will feel too detached from the content. I have decided to experiment with pattern making to further my experimentation process and try new techniques. I have been sketching different layout options and styles and considering what colour pallet would compliment the illustrations on the other side. I created this repeat pattern tile that can now be added into the playing cards background.
This is the final basic outline of how the playing card backs will be generally laid out. I have sketched and measured this by hand to make it easier to configure on the GIMP application (I know how big each section needs to be, what angle the connecting lines will sit at and how each layer will be positioned). 
This template has been designed at an A4 scale with a 15% curvature to match the front of the playing cards. The boarder section will allow for a 1cm restriction pattern that will be repeated all the way around the card. The central circle will be the space where the QR code sits, having the two smaller circles to mimic the traditional style of playing cards, but also to ground the QR code and not make it feel out of place. I wanted to test the pattern I had made with a loose version (unmeasured) of the template above.
They are obviously not exactly the same as the template, as I just needed a rough idea of how the pattern would look in the sections. After putting this together, I decided that I really did not like the outcome. I am not a fan of the red backs (used traditionally in playing card design) and think that it will overpower the illustrations on the front. I do like the pattern I created, however I do not think it suits the purpose of the cards so I will be redesigning a card that has more of a connected flow to it- leaving less blank space between the flowers. I went on to experiment more and test out different colours and patterns. This is basically the final mock up for the playing card backs, I much prefer the new pattern as it is flawlessly continuous and suits the sections outlined in the template. I added a second, more intricate pattern to the top and bottom of the cards to easily introduce a new colour pallet. The boarder I drew on the template did not exactly fit in the GIMP program as I did not consider if the edges of the boarder would curve or overlap (leaving gaps on each corner), so I added a basic 3 dot filler which I think adds to the cards overall. I really like the overall design and think the colour pallet of muted, dusty tones will suits all of the illustrations well. The card is not fully complete as I will need to add the QR codes and may make minor tweeks to the layout. (There is a curved white boarder around the whole design, but it is not visible here as the page is obviously white as well).
