Missing the obvious
Like many other graphic designers around the world, I was rather excited to see the new UK coin designs come into circulation. A bold, unified design set that marks a slick departure from the ones before it. I was thrilled to see a previously unknown 26-year-old designer shot into the limelight for designing the one thing we all see and use every day - suddenly graphic design was in the newspapers, on TV, and people in the street were discussing the designs. People understood that even common things such as money could be designed in a striking way, and the D&AD awarded the young designer a coveted black pencil award for his work. Truly inspiring stuff.
There’s just one massive problem.
Whilst browsing a design-related forum - where, I can’t recall - someone pointed out a fact so obvious that it stopped me right there. I wondered how in the fresh hell I’d managed to miss THAT - never mind how the Royal Mint, other designers, the media, and major awards organisations had. It seems on the surface to be a pretty darn important omission, and I’d be interested to see what effect it will or could possibly have on users of the coinage.
The problem? There are no numerals on the coins to denote their value. Fifty pence is written just like that. There is no 50 - anyone who doesn’t read English well enough to decipher it has no idea at all what that coin is worth. And it’s no good using the size of the coin as a relative marker like some currencies can - the £1 coin is much smaller than the 50p although twice its value, and the 10p is larger than the £1.
I am a stickler for great design, and if something is missing a feature or two yet I like the design, I tend to forgive it. Hypocritical I know, for good design IS the consideration of all features, the success of usability and the appropriate aesthetics to support the product’s purpose. It is the graphic designer’s job to make the product communicate. I’m not sure the otherwise great design can forgive this omission.
For a national CURRENCY to not consider the impact of foreign visitors using it…is this a major usability fail? Something the Royal Mint has chosen to ignore? Let me know what you think - and if anyone knows any non-English speakers unfamiliar with the currency who could test its function.
