Currency Design

Norway's newly redesigned bank notes

Steps

1. Research currency design and how it functions.
2. Choose a theme that reverberates with AMERICA.
3. Sketch designs for the 5 and 20 dollar bills (front and back)
4. Begin designing on the computer (you may choose Illustrator or Photoshop)

Background
Why does the US redesign its money? 
a: (From the U.S. federal reserve) We redesign the U.S. currency to stay ahead of counterfeiting threats and keep counterfeiting levels low.The Federal Reserve, together with our partners at the Treasury Department, its Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the United States Secret Service, continuously monitor the counterfeiting threats for each denomination of U.S. currency and make redesign decisions based on these threats. An inter-agency committee makes recommendations on design changes to the Secretary of the Treasury, who has final authority for U.S. currency designs.


Nowhere above does the Federal Reserve mention "design" in recreating U.S. currency, but art is really important as it enriches our lives. Although mobile payments are becoming more and more common, all of us use paper money. The U.S. currency designs are not very aesthetically pleasing, and they have not drastically changed in many years.

Assignment
Your assignment is to redesign the U.S. Dollar. 

Guiding Questions:

• How does U.S. money differ visually from European money?
• Why do other countries have different sizes per bill? 

For her MA degree project at the University of West Hungary, Budapest-based graphic designer Barbara Bernát devised this lovely concept for the Hungarian euro. The project involved five denominations of increasing scale, each made with a set of copperplate etchings; animals of increasing size on the front and related plants on the back. The kicker is a security feature that reveals the skeleton of each animal under UV light, not unlike the new Canadian passport. Regardless of whether this would translate well into actual currency, this is phenomenal way to get hired. Design students take note. (via Kottke).

Travis Purrington

Designer Travis Purrington redesigned the dollar to celebrate science and use money as a learning tool

Design Agency Dowler Duncan redesigned the dollar