5.
Currency Design

For this currency design project the class was instructed to create 3 sets of banknotes to redesign from the country of our choosing. I chose Ethiopia for my country. Our objectives were to thoroughly research the history and culture of our chosen country and apply what we learned as elements to use in the design of the banknotes. Examples such as historical figures or landmarks, cultural foods, patterns, or experiences and national plants and animals of their environment. Using Photoshop we created unique textures and shapes to further elevate the design.

Each of the banknotes presented have a distinct color pallet— each one representing colors of the Ethiopian flag. Red represents the sacrifice of their fathers, who's blood was spilled for their country. Yellow stands for religious freedom and peace. Green represents the richness and fertility of the land. I decided to place national animals and important plant or floral life on the front of each banknote. For the back, I placed important historical monuments or buildings. Both English and Amharic appear on current Ethiopian currency (Birr), so it is also presented here.