If the recession has taught us anything, it’s that, as Americans, we love our greenbacks. Maybe a simple redesign of our paper currency can have a dramatic effect on how we culturally use our money. Dowling Duncan, a design firm based in London and New York, recently proposed a complete rebranding of U.S. bank notes that challenges us to rethink our cash.
The bills look über-modern and vaguely European. You’ll first notice that the notes are laid out vertically, instead of horizontally. Dowling Duncan did their homework: “When we researched how notes are used we realized people tend to handle and deal with money vertically rather than horizontally. You tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. The majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically.” Further, Dowling Duncan’s proposed notes come in a rainbow of colors and are laden with history of American democracy.
But seriously, check out the thought-provoking bank notes. What’s missing from Dowling Duncan’s design?
(Thanks, Kottke.)
Image courtesy of Dowling | Duncan.
