Assignment Details: For this assignment, I was asked to choose a location to redesign a piece of currency while connecting the design to the culture and origins of that place. I chose to focus on Switzerland and explored its traditional folk art practices as the main inspiration for the banknote. Through research on Swiss folk art, patterns, paintings, and national symbols, I created a currency design that highlighted important cultural aspects of the country while still feeling believable and functional as real currency. The project challenged me to combine visual storytelling, historical research, and design systems into a cohesive final outcome that reflected the identity of Switzerland.
Process Work: The process for this project began with researching Switzerland and studying different examples of Swiss currency to understand how the layouts, symbols, typography, and security features work together. I created research pages that focused on important details such as the Swiss cross, the coat of arms, signatures, dimensions, accessibility features, and anti-counterfeiting elements that are commonly found within Swiss franc banknotes. This helped me better understand how to make the final design feel realistic and connected to actual currency systems. Alongside the research, I developed mood boards centered around Swiss folk art traditions. I collected imagery of floral patterns, embroidery, wood textures, mountain landscapes, and handcrafted decorative motifs to help guide the visual direction of the banknote. I also experimented with different color palettes and typography styles that balanced both modern Swiss design and traditional folk art aesthetics.
Final: For the final outcome, I designed a 10 franc banknote inspired by the folk art traditions and landscapes of Switzerland. Since I only focused on creating one banknote, I wanted it to fully represent the visual identity and culture of Switzerland through both decorative and functional design elements. The front and back of the note combine floral imagery, soft pastel colors, wood-inspired textures, and scenic mountain landscapes that reflect traditional Swiss folk art and handcrafted design styles. I also incorporated important features commonly found in real Swiss currency such as multilingual text, serial numbers, signatures, the Swiss cross, and the Swiss coat of arms. The typography and layout were designed to feel clean and modern while still balancing the decorative imagery throughout the composition. I wanted the note to feel elegant, detailed, and believable as if it could exist in actual use while still maintaining a strong artistic and cultural identity connected to Switzerland’s history and folk traditions.