Background
The Dragon Age Mage-Templar War Coin Set is a collectible inspired by the long-standing conflict between mages and templars in the Dragon Age universe. The set features two zinc-alloy coins representing the opposing sides, finished in antique silver with red enamel details and embossed faction symbols.
Both coins are presented in a handmade black wooden display box with red velvet lining, battle artwork, and an etched lid design, turning the choice between Mages and Templars into a physical collectible.
Challenge
This was the client’s first attempt at developing a wood-based collectible, so the initial budget was kept very tight because there was no certainty yet about how the market would respond. At the same time, the client still wanted the product to have the look and feel of solid wood, without making it feel cheap because of the limited budget.
Another challenge was the shape of the box. The client did not want it to look like a standard square wooden box commonly found on the market. The goal was to introduce a memorable design detail without significantly increasing structural complexity or production cost. The challenge was therefore to create a distinctive identity through a relatively small structural change.
What I did
I did not simply treat “solid wood + low budget” as two surface-level requirements and start looking for materials. I first tried to understand why the client wanted both.
The client wanted solid wood because they wanted their first wood-based collectible to have authentic wood grain, texture, and a premium feel. The limited budget, however, came from the fact that this was an untested material direction, and the client did not want to invest too heavily in development and production before knowing how the market would respond.
Once I understood the purpose behind both requirements, I did not simply choose the cheapest solid wood available. Instead, I separated the structural cost from the material experience the customer would actually see and feel.
Before finalizing the material solution, I also conducted extensive research into different wood-processing methods, material combinations, surface treatments, and construction approaches. Since this was my first wood-based project for the client, I wanted to understand what could realistically be achieved at different cost levels before taking a specific proposal to the factory. This research gave me a much clearer basis for evaluating the factory’s suggestions and developing a solution that matched the client’s actual priorities.
I took this approach to the factory and discussed different material and manufacturing options. I eventually settled on MDF for the main structure, with real wood veneer applied to the visible and touchable surfaces. The MDF kept the structural and material costs under control, while the real wood surface preserved the natural texture and feel the client actually wanted.
My role here was not simply to select a material, but to break down two seemingly conflicting requirements and develop a solution around what the client actually cared about.
For the client’s requirement that the box should not look ordinary, I also avoided adding complicated structures simply for the sake of being different, as that would have worked directly against the budget target.
Instead, I introduced a long recessed opening through the center of the lid, using a relatively small and cost-controlled structural change to break up the conventional rectangular shape of the box.
The opening becomes part of the lid design when the box is open and remains visible from the back when the box is closed, giving the product a recognizable detail in either state. My goal was to create a memorable design feature with the smallest possible structural change, without compromising the original budget target.
Outcome
This was the first wooden box I developed for the client, and it was also the client’s first time using wood as a material for a collectible product. Throughout the project, I learned and refined how to work with wood construction, surface finishes, and overall presentation. The final product was successfully launched and performed very well in the market.
More importantly, the success of this project helped me validate wood as a new material direction for the client’s collectible products. For a brand that places strong emphasis on uniqueness and design, this gave the product team another practical material option for bringing different concepts to life.
After this product, I went on to develop several more wood-based products for the client. It was not just a successful product launch—it became the starting point for the client’s continued expansion into wood-based collectibles.
