Dollar ReDe$ign Project

In Profile : Kyle R Thompson : Winner : Dollar ReDe$ign Competition

The winner of our July 4th Dollar ReDe$ign competition was 25 year old Kyle R Thompson. Kyle’s greatest source of inspiration he says is “designing for good causes” and firmly believes that “conceptual design can really transform the way people deal with their communities.”

Thompson, whose design heroes include Seymour Chwast, Pushpin, Big Active, Marian Bantjes, the artists of Die Brücke, and Michael Schwab – to name just a few – graduated from Atlanta’s Portfolio Center in 2008. Now living in Venice, CA, Thompson freelances for various Los Angeles agencies including Deutsch, 30sixty Design, Droga5, World-Wide-Mind, and Wingman Media and has worked on projects for clients ranging from HBO to Hornitos Tequila.

     

Click here to download:

In_Profile_Kyle_R_Thompson_Win.zip (876 KB)

His winning Dollar ReDe$ign submission was actually created during his final year in Atlanta: “my concept flows from my education in politics and American history, and my belief that there are innumerable reasons to be inspired by America’s genesis. I wanted to take a step back from the people who founded America and look at the thinkers who inspired them. Working on the project got me inspired about my own take on America's future; and yes, I think the American Dollar is in dire need of a redesign; the bill feels cold and outdated, especially when you see it next to the Euro.”

Thompson is also a huge J.R.R. Tolkien fan and is currently working on a range of covers and posters for Tolkien’s ‘The Silmarillion’ series of stories and myths. He also recently completed a rebranding scheme for the UK based charity M.E.N.D.: “more and more we're finding that if the message of bettering your community and giving to charity etc is fun, hip, sexy, and joyous even, then people's attitude and likelihood of participation increases dramatically. Although working on this project was both challenging and fun, in the end it was very fulfilling for me.”

You can view more of Kyle’s work on his website

In $tore Now : New Dollar ReDe$ign T-Shirts

$hop Till You Drop.
We just added a new line of t-shirts using a font designed by German type designer Hubert Jocham. Hubert’s custom fonts are in high demand and have been used by numerous popular magazines including Details, W, ESPN and Spin. If you’d like to get your hands on one of our new designs simply visit our Dollar $tore today.

         

Click here to download:

In_tore_Now_New_Dollar_ReDeign.zip (1918 KB)

Selling Out : Are We Victims of Economic Over Exposure?

Too Much Money Talk. A recent article in the Ukrainian Newsweek magazine – "Vlast Deneg" – suggests that our global financial crisis has moved away from being an economic issue towards a brand issue, which they feel can actually sell anything. However, the article also suggests that once we loose interest in the credit crunch and our mass media moves on to a new topic, the economy might actually get better. An oxymoron of sorts but perhaps they’re right. All this talk of doom and gloom, credit crisis and financial failure doesn't really get us any closer to economic recovery, it's all just talk. Real economic recovery will only happen when we all feel the need to start shopping and buying various goods and services again, until then the global financial crisis will remain a hot topic for everyone. The article also featured some of our Dollar ReDe$ign submissions to illustrate their point. Is that David Bowie shining shoes? (RS)

   

Click here to download:

Selling_Out_Are_We_Victims_of_.zip (406 KB)

Dollar ReDe$ign $hop : Now Open!

Hurry! Buy Now! : Don't miss your chance to own a real work of art. The Dollar ReDe$ign Project is thrilled to announce the launch of its online store selling an exclusive range of gifts and apparel. Our first collection is a limited edition series of t-shirts designed by international creative genius Richard Smith. Inspired by the work of conceptual artists On Kawara and Joseph Kosuth, Richard Smith's 'word paintings' explore the relationship between pairs of words that are analogous or homophonic. These t-shirts are available in a limited supply of 100 only. Each shirt is signed and numbered 1/100. Beat the rush, visit our store today: www.dollarredesign.com/shop

The Color of Money : The Billion Dollar Gram

Data visualized: how 'our' money has been spent, in technicolor via informationisbeautiful.net

Fall Fads : Money Matters : DC Magazine Dollar ReDe$ign Feature

De$ign of the Times
DC Magazine’s 4th anniversary fall fashion issue celebrates cool pads and the latest fads along with the Dollar ReDe$ign Project’s special DC collaboration. Thank you to all those who submitted their ideas. (RS) Check out the latest issue of DC magazine online: http://tinyurl.com/co7drv

The Atlantic Times : Rebrand the Buck!

In Germany We Trust.
It's incredible that one nation so far from our headquarters in New York has taken the premise of our campaign to heart so dearly. Initially it was Russia who heralded our cause but more than anyone it has been Germany that has continued to rally behind our ambition, and very seriously too – it's rather perplexing but also very encouraging at the same time. The Atlantic Times newspaper is just another fine example. Published in Germany in English for the US market, the monthly newspaper presents American political and business news and opinion from a German perspective. It includes articles from many renowned politicians and journalists including the paper's executive editor Theo Sommer. About the Dollar ReDe$ign Project, Walter Pfaeffle, the paper's New York bureau chief, writes, 'America is falling apart, the greenback needs a makeover, rebranding would restore faith worldwide.' All we can say is hell yeah! and of course Danke schön!

   

Click here to download:

The_Atlantic_Times_Rebrand_the.zip (2456 KB)

Go USA : Money Can Look This Good : View / Stern Magazine

Delicious Dollars : Could Currency Design Get Any More Seductive!

How much is good design really worth? Lisa Tse (www.lisatse.com), a London-based designer and brand consultant, thinks it's worth quite a bit. In fact she's gone as far as printing her own $100 bills – obviously the American Dollar represented 'value' more than the British Pound in this case – but actually these extremely elegant 'bills' would look rather tasty sitting inside any cash register and who wouldn't want to spend a gorgeous gold foil and sumptuous black $100 bill at the grocery store. Just imagine getting a stack of these next time you went to the bank to pay off that 'loan' from your 'uncle.' But seriously, Tse's 'Design Dollars' are meant to represent 'the commercial value design affords, where creative thinking plays an integral part in any successful business strategy.' Clearly Lisa is on to something. Design does have value. Hello! Time to wake up and smell the coffee North America! Good design IS good for business.

The US Dollar Has An Image Problem