DEVELOPMENT OF BANKNOTE DESIGN: A STUDY ON APPLICATION OF INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION NARAYANAN KRISHNASWAMY BHARATIYA RESERVE BANK NOTE MUDRAN (P) LTD., INDIA
[email protected] ABSTRACT This paper looks into the aspects of participatory designing of banknotes applying indigenous knowledge and skills. Particular attention is paid to the cases where participation has been effected in designing banknotes. Indian banknote design development process has been looked into for its use of high levels of technology but almost negligent levels of user participation. An attempt has been made to propose a system for participatory development of banknote design in India. BANKNOTE Banknote is called the ‘calling card’ of the country to which it issues. It is one of the sovereign products of a sovereign nation. It is also one of the smallest and easily identifiable products of a country next only to its national flag and insignia. Banknotes are used by almost all of the adult population of the world and majority of the adolescent population. It can be said that banknotes as a product are more universal than any of the other consumer non-durable products and also the most sought after. It is a product for the entire community. Its face value is manifold higher than its intrinsic value. It is the product which tells the value of any other product and gives it a face value. It has transactional and storage value. It gives immense satisfaction, pride or confidence to almost anybody who possesses it. With their high levels of penetration with humanity banknotes are more universal in usage, appeal and construction. This paper aims to study how the indigenous communities use their cultural wealth to design their futures with banknotes. The banknotes can bring into dialogue participants from indigenous communities, different denominations of population and design to explore the processes of cultural innovation. DESIGNING OF BANKNOTES Designing of banknotes is a very highly restricted and secured endeavour. There are specialists and super specialists who have given their entire lives in conception and creation of banknotes. This clearly tells how much expertise, ingenuity, dedication and skill required in developing and designing banknotes. Though the process and technologies involved in designing of banknotes are secured, in the same length it can be said that they are universal. Each country has its unique banknotes – each has its own set of sizes, colours, denominations and features. Also each country guards it safe and secure from other countries. Therefore the community of the country which uses its banknotes has a lot at stake in having a say on how its banknotes - ‘calling cards’ should be like. INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR BANKNOTE DESIGN Though the principles and technologies used the worldwide have become almost standard throughout the world, they have developed over three centuries using techniques and skills and innovations from many different parts of the world. Chinese silk and paper, German movable type, Italian engraving, Swiss inks, English presses, Dutch ideas, Indian mathematics, American innovations, Russian, Australian and Hungarian design features and inventions – all make the current banknotes. Some are path breaking, some are incremental and some are unique, some are customized, some are exclusive and some are absolute secretive. A Participatory Innovation Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia www.pin-c2012.org/ 1 few are quite weird too! It is an undeniable fact that communities of the respective countries have participated using different means in designing their banknotes. Their effect can be direct indirect and subtle or direct and quite affirmative. Some countries have established systems and processes to involve community participation in their banknote design and institutionalising it. Some allow participation indirectly. Some do not allow for any participation and some allow off and on. almost institutionalised the system of public designing of the banknotes and an established system takes care of this. Recently they had conducted a competition among the designated age group – to ensure design proposals are fresh and contemporary – which were ranked and shortlisted a few for evaluation by the security designers. The final selected designs were reworked by the original designer alongwith the security designers of the Swiss National Bank (Swiss National Bank, 20042010). LITERATURE REVIEW To sustain public confidence in a circulating currency, banknotes must contain features that the public can use to readily judge their authenticity and determine the notes’ denominations. Currency design is driven by these considerations, subject to constraints imposed by the desire to minimise the notes’ cost and maximize their ease of handling by third parties. Monetary authorities, quite naturally, prefer banknotes that are relatively inexpensive to produce and other things equal, have a long life in circulation. These considerations make banknote design a mixture of art, science and economics (MARCELA M. WILLIAMS, 2007). The most important aspect of a banknote is its visual accessibility. The public is doubtlessly more interested in the theme and design of new banknotes than in the security technology. For one thing, the motifs must be easy to perceive and remember. For another, banknotes serve as a kind of national showcase. The visual appearance of banknotes must both satisfy aesthetic requirements and convey values that represent (our) country and that are shared by the (Swiss) people (BLANTTNER, 2005). We know from experience that continuity with respect to banknotes is an important criterion for the consumers in addition to providing a valuable orientation aid (TORNARE, 2005). Users want banknotes that are easy to handle and distinguish. Banknotes should be aesthetically pleasing. The designer of a banknote, therefore, must try to reconcile the artistic design with the technicalities of user and security requirements (FRANK WETTSTEIN, 2000). The motifs on the banknotes are important in expressing national values and symbols (GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE RIKSBANK'S DRAFTING COMMITTE FOR THE DESIGN OF BANKNOTES AND COINS, MARCH 2011). Banknote designs are often not based on a well-considered communication concept. The banknote designer seems to be in charge, while this is not her or his first domain. The design philosophy or design policy is the start of any banknote design and is preferably provided by the highest management, the Governor and the Board of the central bank (HEIJ, JULY 2007). Figure 1 & 2: Proposed New Design Swiss Banknote, Denomination 100 (Swiss National Bank) European Union had introduced Euro currency through an uniting and unique venture of bringing out new banknotes. Euro called for designs of banknotes from the participating countries of the monetary unions. It asked the expert banknote designers from the participating countries through their organisations to participate in the design completion. Twenty-nine individuals and or teams nominated by 14 European Union national banks participated on a predetermined theme based on common European heritage. The competition received 44 proposals. Each proposal was assigned an identification code to maintain anonymity. An eminent jury selected two shortlists of five best design series. A public survey on the ten shortlisted designs was carried out. On the basis above evaluation one series of design was selected (European Central Bank, September 2003). SOME CASES There are a number of instances of participation of the respective communities in designing their banknotes. Switzerland has a long history of public participation in their designing of the nation’s banknotes. They have 2 Participatory Innovation Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia www.pin-c2012.org/ Figure 3: Current Euro Banknote Denomination 100 (European Central Bank) culture that make Hong Kong one of the world’s vibrant and memorable cities (Standard Charterd Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, 2011). The three new series issued by the three private banks adopt the same colour scheme and security features in same locations, while the motifs and elements will be different (Hong Kong New 2010 Banknote Series, 2010). South Africa has conducted a competition among the art schools in the country and had chosen designs from them for development as banknotes by banknote design specialists. Indians had tried decades earlier by just calling for proposals for motifs to be incorporated in their banknotes. During the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi, it called for proposals for incorporating his portrait in its banknotes and coins. The banknote presses provided the templates within which the portrait should appear was provided to the interested participants and this ensured a good number of responses. However in the next four decades ventures of this sort have been not resorted to. However in the year 2010 it called for competitive proposals for symbol for Indian Rupee and selected one which is an Indian design. Figure 4: Current Euro Banknote Denomination 100 (European Central Bank) Recently Danes successfully redesigned their banknotes. Central bank of Denmark arranged a competition among eight artists who were asked to do a draft. The bank chose two proposals which were adopted for the new series. Both the drafts had bridges and one was very contemporary and the other one was classically beautiful (11Au). Also the Danes had invited collaborators for custom typeface for its new banknote series. The custom typeface incorporates both Danish design and subtle security features (11Au1). AN APPROACH FOR INDIA India is a subcontinent. Its geography, heritage, history, human races, languages, cultures, heterogeneous beliefs, varied growths, highly differentiated villages and cities, varying rates of spread of literacy and extraordinarily challenging variety of its aspects of life possess a great scope for public participation in anything it does. It has extraordinary diversity in anything one can look upon. It is strengthened by its core principle of being the world’s largest thriving democracy. All these make it a great challenge to design banknotes for India. A controlled or centralised system of designing banknotes may not suit or augur well for its democratic credentials. The banknote design has to obviously cater to all the above mentioned differences and varied aspirations. India has its aspirations and ambitions matching with its size, population, culture, heritage, economics and history. It is transforming into a major economic power off late. It needs banknotes which are capable of supporting these aspects of Indian life. Figure 5: New Danish Banknotes Denomination 100 (Danmark National Bank) THE CHALLENGE OF INDIA The greatest challenge is India’s diversity. This diversity is phenomenal and mind boggling. In the same length it is also the reason for incorporating making the banknotes more representative preferably incorporating indigenous design elements representing the diversity of this continental nation. Its culture is embedded into it as its traditions and customs. It flows into its daily life and transmitted through its generations of genes. India with its 4000 years of history is more than well entrenched in its rituals and practices. It has cults which evolve, grow and diminish in cycles. At the same length it straddles with modernity which is quite contradicting to its existing beliefs and values. Still India is a vibrant and thriving nation. It is the fountain head of a few major 3 Figure 6: New Hong Kong Banknotes Denomination 500 (Lunaticg Banknote & Coin) Hong Kong Monetary Authority has authorised three commercial banks in Hong Kong to issue banknotes for the government. All the three commercial banks issue banknotes of different designs. The new Hong Kong 2010 series of banknotes incorporate the same security features and also the design to facilitate the visually impaired to differentiate the denomination (Government of Hong Kong). The design theme based on Chinese mythology strives to symbolise the unique energy and Participatory Innovation Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia www.pin-c2012.org/ and minor religions of the world. It has a large number of languages ranging from classical to modern. INDIA’S ART AND CRFTS Arts and crafts of India have stood the test of the time. Starting with Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro civilizations, Calico textiles, leather and diamond crafts and Bollywood to software India has been looked at awe for its cultural and artistic prowess and heritage. It has the necessary skills and expertise to sustain a horde of arts and crafts. Its indigenous knowledge and expertise in many fields of human endeavour have been well recorded. It is unfortunate that its banknotes do not represent them. The public – the main user of banknotes have almost no say in its look and feel. It is essential to make the user of the banknotes to involve in deciding its look and feel. It is easier said than done, due to its scale and magnanimity. Though at this point of time the nation is preoccupied in establishing an equitable and developed society it has to get into the issue of making its banknotes more representative and participatory in that order. A beginning needs to be made in this regard. running democratically elected communist government in its state of West Bengal. Indians are spiritual and religious even than Chinese. Indian mind-set is transcendental. It has the drive to build significant businesses while following ancient customs in doing so. Finally Indians are more open and warm and has assimilated from many cultures, even from its invaders (Indian Mindset). Figure 7: Indian Banknote Obverse Denomination 100 (Money of the World) PARTICIAPTIVE DESIGNING OF INDIAN BANKNOTE Can these small pieces of paper with 103.67 square millimetre area 1 consisting of seven denominations ever represent a country of this size and range of diversity? Yes, it is possible and this is exactly what many nations of the world have strived for and achieved to a great extent. The design of a banknote by incorporating appropriate themes, colours, elements and features can be made more representative than by filling it up with some computer generated digital patterns and images. The themes and images so chosen and used creatively can be more than representative and can be original and contemporary thereby building upon the heritage. Its twenty-eight states and seven union territories can stake a claim of representation on the banknotes. Figure 8: Indian Banknote Reverse Denomination 100 (Money of the World) CURRENT METHOD Currently the banknotes of India are designed by the banknote printers under the aegis of Reserve Bank of India for the Government of India. Though the method of designing a banknote, other technicalities and security features shall remain secretive; the choice of colours, features and elements too are not exposed to any sort of public forum or evaluation thereby making it more official than representative. The present Indian banknotes have more western elements or so called Indian elements using western concepts, which do not go with the Indian psyche. Indians are by nature philosophical. They tend to find meaning in anything. They are metaphysical – the study of reality and being. India had the world’s longest1 The current Indian banknotes have a number of high end security features as enumerated by its central bank which are plucked and planted on its banknote. The adoption of the high end security features and techniques with Indian themes and features is the crux of the issue. Therefore it is essential for the authorities concerned to resort to ensuring appropriate means for introducing Indian designs and features. This can be duly ensured by adequate participation of the users who are the major stake holders. As discussed in the above cases of other countries India too has to ensure the participation of the users - the public in designing its banknotes. This will naturally invigorate the design and design decision making process. What is required is an evolutionary change in the mind-set of the banknote issuers towards the new approach. It is also a fact that India has resorted to issuing commemorative coins and coins with different themes. THE PROPOSAL FOR PARTICIPATION The transformation from centrally designed by in-house designers to public participation for indigenous designing of banknotes can be effected gradually but steadily. Some proposals for the participation by the public who use banknotes can be in any of the following forms. 1. Inviting eminent designers and artists of the land to work with the banknote designers. This Average size of Indian Banknotes as calculated by the Author 4 Participatory Innovation Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia www.pin-c2012.org/ 2. 3. 4. will ensure fresh approach to designing of banknotes soaked in indigenous contemporariness. Call for general banknote design proposals from competent general public. This will result in generation of ideas ranging from absurd to mediocre to highly aesthetic designs. Call for proposals for design elements in the designated predetermined locations of banknotes. This will certainly make the participants to be more ingenious, imaginative and creative due to restrictions imposed. Call for designs for modules of banknotes resorting to modular concept of design. This will give scope for accommodating regional aspirations. This will certainly result in lots of variety and there will be demands from almost all the states of the union. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I acknowledge the suggestions and comments made by P. M. Mahapatra, my colleague on this paper. I would like to thank K. Jayashree for her support in writing this paper and for her valuable comments. REFERENCES (n.d.). Retrieved August 2011, from http://confidentialattachees.wordpress.com/2007/02/13/f uture-banknote-design/; http://www.banknotenews.com/files/tag-denmark.php. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2011, from http://www.pleks.dk/public/danish-banknotes Hong Kong New 2010 Banknote Series. (2010, June 22). Retrieved from 13 http://lunaticg.blogspot.com/2010/07/hong-kong-new2010-banknote-series.html Author. (n.d.). Blanttner, N. (2005, February 2). New Banknotes Project of the Swiss National Bank. Berne, Switzerland: Governing Board, Swiss National Bank. Danmark National Bank. (n.d.). New 100-krone banknote 2009 series. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://www.nationalbanken.dk/DNUK/NotesAndCoins. nsf/side/Sketch_of_the_100krone_banknote_2009_series!OpenDocument European Central Bank. (n.d.). Banknotes. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://www.ecb.int/euro/banknotes/shared/img/100euror e_HR.jpg European Central Bank. (n.d.). Banknotes. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://www.ecb.int/euro/banknotes/shared/img/100eurof r_HR.jpg European Central Bank. (September 2003). Euro Banknote Design Exhibition. Frankfurt am Main, Kaiserstrasse, 60311, Germany: European Central Bank. Frank Wettstein, B. a. (2000). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Swiss Banknotes. Quarterly Bulletin, 2000(3), p. p4. General Council of the Riksbank's Drafting Committe for the Design of Banknotes and Coins. (March 2011). New Banknotes and Coin Series Themes and Motifs. Copenhagen: Riksbank. Government of Hong Kong. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2011, from http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201107/22/P201107 220181.htm Heij, H. A. (July 2007). Public Feedback for Better Banknote Design 2. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: De Nederlandsche Bank NV. All the above can be accompanied with guidelines on the theme or general approach to themes for the aspirants to prepare their proposals. This can work well by clearly stating the size and other relevant restrictions for incorporating security features and other technical and production requirements. This can be combined with any of the three models of design and issue of banknotes by the central bank. 1. Centralised model with low customisation: In this the design can be executed centrally and providing spaces for incorporating elements resulted through participatory proposals. 2. Centralised model with high customisation: In this model either the verso of the banknote and major motifs of the banknote can be reserved for selection through participation. 3. Regional model: This model envisages regional banknote series with only standard centralised features with regional themes, elements and features. CONCLUSION India has built a vibrant democracy over the last sixty years. India has a globalising economy and its growing at a fast phase. It has projected itself as a soft power with its heritage, culture and of course its cinema. It has introduced a symbol for its currency. Now it is the most logical step to take – to make its banknote design more representative using participation of its indigenous cultural and artistic resources. It has to use its newly introduced military doctrine of ‘cold start’ which calls for the rapid deployment of integrated battle groups to conduct high intensity offensive operations in designing and developing a truly participatory banknote. Participatory Innovation Conference 2012, Melbourne, Australia www.pin-c2012.org/ 5 Indian Mindset. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2011, from http://chindiapedia.org/Indianmindset.aspx Lunaticg Banknote & Coin. (n.d.). Hong Kong New 2010 Banknote Series. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from http://lunaticg.blogspot.com/2010/07/hong-kongnew-2010-banknote-series.html Marcela M. Williams, R. G. (2007, September / October). 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