As designer we love freedom, but it’s best to design with constraints. Some jobs however seem too constraint. One of these I always imagined to be is designing banknotes. It really seems daunting to create a new face for an entire country’s currency. Much like the national flag, it’s a visual representation of a country’s identity. There’s political factors to take into account when deciding what or who should be represented on bills. There’s security issues. Also anti-counterfeiting measures. You get my point.
We couldn’t think of any other design project that shifts hands more than this one, so it’s very social somehow. You feel you’re a part of something very stately, it’s very governmental, You’re let in on something that’s run by something higher than yourself.
That’s why the new Norwegian currency design is particularly impressive in my eyes. The abstract, pixelated artwork inspired by ocean winds, looks like no other money in the world.