The Ugliest $100 Bill Yet
Posted by Bobby Solomon • April 23, 2010 • Design & Redesign
Ugh. When the hell is U.S. Treasury going to start hiring actual designers to start dictating the look of our money? In the video above you get an interactive tour of the shit-tastic new $100 bill which features a quite fluid, rubbery bill and a background filled with all kinds of horrific lens flares.
I don’t give a damn about a security ribbon or a bell in an inkwell that makes the money harder to counterfeit, nor do I think any other normal person does. I think what we need it something that looks good, seeing as how for the time being it’s a global currency. I think the design should also help those with vision problems be able to tell which bill is which easier. I think it’s even less about aesthetics and more about usability.
It’s kind of like when you have a website designed by a developer. Sure you need the developer to build it, but 99% of the time they have no idea about aesthetics or how to make it more user-friendly. Massive fail U.S. government.
Bobby
Y'know, sometimes I really do feel exactly like this: http://bit.ly/99YuQK
oh man.. that really is one ugly bill.
as it is a global currency it should be safe, but the design would also seem important i guess.
i can’t wait for our new bills in switzerland (should be this year)
http://files.newsnetz.ch/bildlegende/19289/100.JPG
Comment by phil — April 23, 2010 #
I couldn’t agree more. Just cause it’s secure does mean it has to be ugly. Lucky in Australia our currency is interesting and secure, and it’s been around since the the 1990’s.
http://s699.photobucket.com/albums/vv354/Jude714/?action=view¤t=au_money.jpg&sort=ascending&co=10
Comment by Pinball — April 23, 2010 #
Gotta agree with you Pinball. Ours is quite lovely.
Comment by LisaMac — April 23, 2010 #
the fact that its rubbery is probably to make it easier to wash cocaine off.
Comment by fede — April 23, 2010 #
Hey, give those designers a break! It’s not like the US currency designers got a lot of chance to practice – I bet by the time they get round to redesigning the five dollar bill they’ll know what they are doing.
Unless they get distracted by the ‘gradient fill’ button. In which case I look forward to spending some rainbowbacks.
Comment by Pete Hindle — April 23, 2010 #
OMFG! You’re all invited to live in Europe
Comment by pedro freenandes — April 23, 2010 #
Part of the security is counterfeiters won’t want to look at it.
Comment by Bob — April 23, 2010 #
funny to see colour at all on the US currency – remember when you all use to laugh at Canadian’s for their monopoly money?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/76/Canadian_bills2.jpg
…actually, perhaps you still do ;)
Comment by Dave — April 23, 2010 #
http://gethelveticaoffourmoney.com/
Comment by Jason/ARCHETYPE — April 23, 2010 #
“shit-tastic”, that about says it.
Bonus points for more green.
Comment by Ryan Stang — April 23, 2010 #
I personally would like to to congratulate them on making an awesome movie with a great soundtrack to showcase their wonderful new design. Really is innovative work.
Comment by Bianca — April 23, 2010 #
ok, the video is crap and the bill is not a designed beuty. And thank God for that. You all sound like something from Zoolander: What else is there to life besides being really good looking?
First of all, the dollar bill is not a Nike sneaker or a fixie-bike. It doesn’t need to go perfectly well to your chinos and woodchopper shirts.
Second of all, “I don’t give a damn about a security ribbon or a bell in an inkwell….” is ridiculous to say as the purpose of the bill is its security, not its looks. It is not just a piece of paper guys.
Thirdly, it is absolutely not the same as a website. The website is built around usability and a representation of a given product (whether a design blog or a supermarket). The dollar bill does not need to be user-friendly nor should aesthetics be prioritized over its vulnerability for counterfeit.
Comment by BellBoy — April 23, 2010 #
@BellBoy – I think it’s funny that you think it has to be one or the other, security or looking good. Why can’t it be both? The rest of the world has good looking money, why can’t we? You’re thinking much too narrow.
Comment by Bobby Solomon — April 23, 2010 #
this is the most hysterical waste of money on money i have seen.
i can’t wait for the feature length tour.
Comment by ian — April 23, 2010 #
But if we were the pick one, it should be security. This is a silly post.
Comment by Dr. Oh No — April 23, 2010 #
thanks for sharing this.
it’s amazing to me that the USA hasn’t decided to rethink the design of their money since its inception. whenever i’m in the states i’m always worried i’m going to accidentally leave a $50 bill for a tip instead of a $5 bill (your beer is amazingly inexpensive which makes keeping track of your green bills quite difficult)
Comment by nils — April 23, 2010 #
Haha the way you express on this entry remaind me this video http://vimeo.com/1465284
Comment by Chipotle — April 23, 2010 #
Just keep them in my pocket.
Comment by Bogart — April 23, 2010 #
Are they still using paper notes? When will they concede that us Aussies have it right – plastic notes are the way to go.
Comment by Brendan — April 23, 2010 #
Wow seriously when was the last time that you heard of someone (other than bloggers) caring what the design of their money looks like? Not everything in life must be beautiful. I know, that sounds ridiculous, right? But come on now, seriously…
Comment by Ben Carlson — April 23, 2010 #
@Ben – Why shouldn’t we care? I should just be okay that things are ugly and not think it should change? Cash is a part of my every day life, so why should I have to stare at these ugly ass bills? Why shouldn’t everything in life beautiful?
Just because you’re complacent doesn’t mean I need to be.
Comment by Bobby Solomon — April 24, 2010 #
As a world standard currency, why not set a world standard in fusing design and cutting edge security together in your currency? Doing so would be a physical demonstration of the U.S’s creativity and security. Two virtues which are valuable currency themselves. The U.S’s money has always been behind in looks and it’s worth is also been in the gutter as well as of late. The fact that the roll out and design of this new bill looks hasty may also signal that we’re also playing a loosing game with counterfeiters as well. No bueno.
Comment by Chasen Paper — April 24, 2010 #
As with most US Government websites, I agree this new $100 is lacking. Seconded that the Aussie currency is beautiful. Sounds like this would be a good opportunity to hold a contest for the best redesign of US currency. Spell out the criteria with the security features to include and let the best minds in the biz duke it out.
Comment by Amy Stoddard — April 25, 2010 #
For some good money redesign:
http://monomoda.com/2010/graphic-design-dollar-redesign-by-michael-tyznik/
He actually did a proper job on redesigning the dollar bills!
Comment by Guido Bouman — April 25, 2010 #
Seeing this, I so miss the Dutch gulden bills:
http://www.oudevalutasoorten.nl/image/50gulden.jpg
I know, this might be too colorful for some people, but not for me. Plus, it very hard to say goodbye to the money you grew up with. Since we switched to the euro, we had to make do with this:
http://www.geokids.eu/geld/euro.jpg
Yes, still colorful, but the design is boring. But for a lot of other euro-countries, this was already considered pretty wild.
Comment by Jantien — April 26, 2010 #
That does kinda remind me of Monopoly money…
And that video….. it’s like a how-to on forgery!! Pointing out ALL the security features? Why not just make it easier!! ;)
Comment by Rob — April 26, 2010 #
Agreed on the note.
I take issue with the 99% of developers line though. Think you’re cutting web developers short there.
Comment by Alex — April 26, 2010 #
[...] Thursday I posted this video showing the redesign if the $100 bill here in the U.S. and the proceeded to talk about how horrible it was. To my surprise there were a [...]
Pingback by Velvet Cartel - U.S. Currency Redesign by Michael Tyznik — May 1, 2010 #
This money is way too plain. We need many more disparate elements going on to really jazz it up. Why not a large flock of eagles, a drum and fife brigade and a few more pyramids with eyeballs (as long as they don’t delete any of the other purty elements). Cherubs would be nice, too.
Comment by Ron — July 31, 2010 #