Shackled with countless constraints, Snøhetta's design for Norway's new banknotes turns cash into an abstraction of ocean winds.
There are few acts of graphic design more daunting than that of creating a new face for an entire country's currency. Even in a world full of digital payment methods, cash still passes through the hands of essentially every citizen, as well as international travelers. Much like the national flag, it's a visual representation of a country's identity. And there are not only political factors to take into account when deciding what--or who--should be represented on bills, but security issues and anti-counterfeiting measures to consider.