After visiting the exhibition at the people's history museum I decided to further my research by looking into alternative designs by other artists for different countries currency online. I particularly wanted to focus on designs that increase the value of cash in way that makes the holder think about the message it holds / has printed onto it, rather than it's value in payment.
On designer I found who follows this criteria is American designer Travis Purrington. For his master’s thesis at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland he designed a bank note that could be used to double up as an “educational tool” “And not to reinforce such a patriotic bond with the country, but more of a global bond with mankind.”
In his design Purrington wanted to introduce imagery that had to do with systems, rather than dated iconography, because that’s really what money is about. It’s the connecting synapse between a huge number of systems that keep the country churning day by day. His bank notes depict images of scientific discoveries, inspiring architecture and picturesque landscapes, celebrating incredible achievements made collectively over time by the human race rather than a select few iconographic figures.
I like this idea as it makes money seem less corrupt and more universally accepted and celebrated for the better reasons. It reminds us of what we as a species are capable of achieving rather than the wars and greed that has been caused in the past by wealth and power.
The notes also appear much more modern with their mix of bright and muted colour scheme, interesting geometric shapes, pattern and unusual layout. However at the same time they seem to have a timeless quality to them.
I then looked further into the history of money and the banknote. I found the website: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/01/learn-from-the-history-of-banknote-design-most-desirable-product/ which extensively covers a lot of interesting information about the history of the banknote.
'The notion of using paper as money is probably as old as paper itself. The practice of using paper to transfer letters of credit over large distances appeared in China about 618 AD. The ancient Chinese, responsible not only for ingenious concepts but also for ingeniously describing them, named this practice fei-chien or “flying money.”
The oldest surviving paper notes were issued during the rule of the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1399. The Ming dynasty’s 200 Kwan note is nearly the size of a legal document. The note was manufactured from recycled gray mulberry bark paper.
'The notion of using paper as money is probably as old as paper itself. The practice of using paper to transfer letters of credit over large distances appeared in China about 618 AD. The ancient Chinese, responsible not only for ingenious concepts but also for ingeniously describing them, named this practice fei-chien or “flying money.”
The oldest surviving paper notes were issued during the rule of the Ming Dynasty, between 1368 and 1399. The Ming dynasty’s 200 Kwan note is nearly the size of a legal document. The note was manufactured from recycled gray mulberry bark paper.
One important thing to consider in my design is the orientation I would want my proposed bank note to face. Portrait looks a lot more modern and is used in many countries currency including the Swiss franc banknote with revived the fashion for a vertical format 20 years ago. Because a vertical format is more ergonomic for feeding notes into payment terminals and other research shows that people tend to handle notes vertically rather than horizontally, this orientation will likely take hold of currency design in the coming years.
One amazing idea I found was the Brixton Pound. The Brixton Pound (B£) is money that sticks to Brixton. It’s designed to support Brixton businesses and encourage local trade and production. It’s a complementary currency, working alongside (not replacing) pounds sterling, for use by independent local shops and traders. The B£ gives local traders and customers the chance to get together to support each other and maintain the diversity of the high street and strengthen pride in Brixton.
The B£ makes money work for Brixton by supporting smaller shops and traders who are under threat from the recession and larger chains. It stays in Brixton and circulates, increasing local trade and community connections. Money spent with independent businesses circulates within the local economy up to three times longer than when it’s spent with national chains, research by the New Economics Foundation has shown.
The B£ encourages people to think about where their money is going and commit to spending a proportion of it locally. On the environmental front, the B£ supports local businesses in sourcing more goods and services locally, reducing their carbon footprint.
The B£ encourages people to think about where their money is going and commit to spending a proportion of it locally. On the environmental front, the B£ supports local businesses in sourcing more goods and services locally, reducing their carbon footprint.
Source: https://brixtonpound.org/what
One route I thought would be interesting to go down is typography. I found an interesting example of the use of typography as the main artwork for currency in the form f Notgeld. Notgeld, is a term for 'emergency money' issued by a body rather than a central bank.
'The most obvious example of notgeld is the paper money that was printed in Germany during the period of hyperinflation following World War I. During this period, over 36,000 types of notes were issued by over 3,500 companies, towns and cities. Notgeld went beyond being just bills, evolving into a powerful force for raising the spirits of a desperate society.
While the majority of notgeld had very little intrinsic monetary value (paper notes were printed almost nightly in every area), the quasi-currency played a huge role in the visual culture and history of Germany.'
The design of most notgeld was based on the historical subjects and heraldic images, offering a way for a defeated country to seek comfort in a glorious past. Some notgeld series, such as the one created by Herbert Bayer, incorporated a minimal, modernist aesthetic, calling people to think of a better future, instead of recalling the past.
At that unstable period, notgeld became a means of expression for contemporary artists and designers; therefore, they quickly became more of a target for collectors than actual currency. Another reason for some of the intricate designs relates to finance: If a bill was left as a collectible, the debt would not have to be paid.
Notgeld is a goldmine for typography enthusiasts. Many of the designs, such as the one above, created by Wenzel Hablik, were purely typographic. They came from various artistic movements that either began or moved forward during that time, including Expressionism, Dadaism, New Objectivity and Modernism.'
One route I thought would be interesting to go down is typography. I found an interesting example of the use of typography as the main artwork for currency in the form f Notgeld. Notgeld, is a term for 'emergency money' issued by a body rather than a central bank.
'The most obvious example of notgeld is the paper money that was printed in Germany during the period of hyperinflation following World War I. During this period, over 36,000 types of notes were issued by over 3,500 companies, towns and cities. Notgeld went beyond being just bills, evolving into a powerful force for raising the spirits of a desperate society.
While the majority of notgeld had very little intrinsic monetary value (paper notes were printed almost nightly in every area), the quasi-currency played a huge role in the visual culture and history of Germany.'
The design of most notgeld was based on the historical subjects and heraldic images, offering a way for a defeated country to seek comfort in a glorious past. Some notgeld series, such as the one created by Herbert Bayer, incorporated a minimal, modernist aesthetic, calling people to think of a better future, instead of recalling the past.
At that unstable period, notgeld became a means of expression for contemporary artists and designers; therefore, they quickly became more of a target for collectors than actual currency. Another reason for some of the intricate designs relates to finance: If a bill was left as a collectible, the debt would not have to be paid.
Notgeld is a goldmine for typography enthusiasts. Many of the designs, such as the one above, created by Wenzel Hablik, were purely typographic. They came from various artistic movements that either began or moved forward during that time, including Expressionism, Dadaism, New Objectivity and Modernism.'
One thing I noticed about the currency I had researched so far is how muted and dull most of the colour schemes are. For my project i wanted to focus on bright colours and engaging shapes to transform currency into something that will be payed more attention to rather than handed over and exchanged without a second thought. In doing this it may also reinforce the value of money and make us realise how lucky we in the western world are to have a disposable income.
Some colourful designs I found are the re-works of pre-existing American tender from presidents into members of the justice league by artist Aslan Malik.
Regardless of content, I really like the mis of colours used in these notes as even if you squint your eyes and don't look at the drawings the colours are still modern, fresh and engaging.
At burning man festival they do not use money, but acquire things through trading their own gifts for other peoples. I wanted to think about things that people would want to exchange rather than money, hypothetically speaking about non-physical entities.
Values I thought of were things such as:
- Manners
- Morals
- Respect
- Character
- Common Sense
- Trust
- Patience
- Class
- Integrity
- love
- acceptance
- Happiness
- Wisdom
- Faith
- Peace of mind
- Humility
- Luck
- A second chance at a missed opportunity
- Appreciation of simple things
- Natural Beauty
- Talent
- An open mind
- Having Fun
- A kind gesture
- A nice memory etc.
- Youth
- Good Karma
- Positive Attitude
- Motivation
- A great Idea
- True Love
- A good reputation
As the project is on 'The FUTURE of the banknote' it doesn't specify how far in the future to base it on. In centuries time, the corrupt and physical things associated with money may be a thing of the past, and people will be able to trade things with more intrinsic value.
For my project I want to design a bank note with the value of an entity that money can't buy.
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