United States Currency Re-design

This project explores how redesigning and improving the overall design in the United States’ banknotes through visual complexity and layered security features constructs the bill to be more resistant to counterfeiting. The banknote I designed replaces traditional centered portrait layouts with a greater dynamic approach to the composition. The front of the currency features an engraved American bison to represent strength, protection, and economic stability. Bison have presided in the United States for years prior to the first European settlement, rendering the species a symbol of the endurance and cultural identity of the U.S. long before the nation was officially established. Furthermore, the back of the currency highlights Yellowstone National Park, where a large population of American bison currently live. The focus on Yellowstone National Park further symbolizes natural wealth, enduring value, and environmental stewardship that sustains the nation’s future. The connection between economic strength, preserved landscapes, and the long-term protection of America’s natural and cultural heritage is reinforced through the elements of this redesign.

​

My design process began by studying current U.S. banknotes, comparing them to several other banknotes from different countries around the globe. Through my research, I analyzed security elements, layout structure, aesthetic qualities, accessibility, and more. Comparative research resulted in discovering how advanced engraving, microtext, security elements, guilloche patterns, and color layering enhance both security and design within a banknote. I approached my redesign by incorporating line engraving, complex geometric security patterns, embedded micro-lettering, tonal layering, and more to produce a new banknote to reinforce depth, authentication, and visual hierarchy. The final outcome is a one hundred dollar bill that is more modern, visually cohesive, and engaging, communicating security through visible design complexity. By embedding multi-frequency and intricate linework, the redesign of the banknote serves as a greater symbolic role as a representation of national strength, cultural wealth, and economic stability.