American Banknotes Redesigned to Celebrate Science Instead of Presidents

Instantly recognizable, American greenbacks have long been a staple of the public imagination, but design student Travis Purrington at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland thinks it’s high time the currency received a makeover. For his master thesis project, Purrington forgoes the traditional route of depicting a past President, instead choosing to follow in the image-centric vein of European currencies such as the Euro or Swedish Krona. On each banknote is one side depicting a desaturated drawing of a scientific subject matter, with a colorful, real-world depiction on the opposing side. For example, the $5 note portrays neurons on one side and modern farming fields on the other, a representation of science and human ingenuity. Focusing on themes of scientific and global systems central to human society, Purrington hopes to emphasize humanity as a whole collective as opposed to the narrow focus on national iconography of the current dollar bills. Learn more about this project on Purrington’s site.