OUGD505 - Studio Brief 1 - Banknote Research

Dollar Redesign by Mucho, London.

We changed the format from horizontal to vertical: a logical change as research revealed that people tend to handle notes vertically, and all machines accept notes vertically. We retained the width of the existing notes, but changed their length. The $1 bill became the shortest and $100 the longest, making it easier for people – especially the visually impaired – to distinguish between notes. Using different colors also gave each note a stronger individual identity. Imagery was selected to reflect the value of each note, with an educational element aimed at Americans and visitors alike. Each denomination features a black and white image of a particular aspect of American history or culture

I particularly like how these notes have a vertical format rather than a horizontal one. I feel like this has a more contemporary vibe to the notes as it switches up the norm. Also the use of the vivid colours adds to the modern feel rather than having the muted and dark tones that are usually used on bank notes. Additionally the use of photographs instead of etched illustrations brings the notes up to date. However all this simplification does mean that the notes themselves would probably be quite easy to reproduce which means that they aren't very secure. 

Over in the US designer Travis Purrington has created his own take on the US currency which is similarly visually appealing. OK it’s unlikely to take the place of the founding fathers any time soon (actually between Apple Pay, PayPal latest work and thing like https://onlycoin.com/ it may be that currency will become used less and less), but nevertheless it’s an interesting piece of visual design.
Travis actually states “Inspired by the Swiss Franc’s (CHF) ambitious redesign process (the currency is thoroughly redesigned every 20 years by way of contest) The goal was to develop a similar updated iconographic system better representing the advancements and culture within the American society.” but it seemed like a nice excuse to showcase the Norwegian banknote design.

Once again these are very contemporary designs for bank notes. I particularly like the use of scientific discoveries rather than the history of the country as I feel like almost every banknote is based around historical figures. So bringing it up to date with technology and science is a way to make it modern. The use of geometric shapes within each design also adds to this and almost gives a screen like quality to the notes making them look like pixels. 

The famous re-design of the Norwegian bank notes has been part of much discussion in the design world. The abstract use of shapes, silhouettes and colours really adds together to make really interesting images for the notes. Mixed with the photographic elements on the back they feel very relevant to the country that they were created for.