Better Late Than Never. The New 100$ Bill And Its High Tech Security Features Explained.

The Federal Reserve Board announced on Wednesday that the redesigned $100 note will finally begin circulating on October 8, 2013. This note, which incorporates new security features such as a blue, 3-D security ribbon, will be easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.

The new design for the $100 note was unveiled in 2010, but its introduction was postponed following an unexpected production delay. (It was supposed to start circulating in February of 2011).

The new $100 as seen in regular light:


The new $100 as seen when backlit:


The new $100 as seen in UV or Black light:


To ensure a smooth transition to the redesigned note when it begins circulating in October, the U.S. Currency Education Program is reaching out to businesses and consumers around the world to raise awareness about the new design and inform them about how to use its security features.

I had already done that in this post back in 2010, so here it is again for you:

Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the United States Secret Service recently unveiled the new design for the $100 note. Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains the traditional look of U.S. currency.



There are a number of security features in the redesigned $100 note, including two new features, the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. These security features are easy for consumers and merchants to use to authenticate their currency.



The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.

The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.

The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S.

The New Security Features
Below is a close-up look at the new features to help you learn how to identify the real thing and use the two advanced security features: the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell.



1. Portrait Watermark
Hold the note to light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait.

3. Color-Shifting 100
Tilt the note to see the numeral 100 in the lower right corner of the front of the note shift from copper to green.



2. Security Thread
Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters USA and the numeral 100 in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the note. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.

4. Raised Printing
Move your finger up and down Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder on the left side of the note. It should feel rough to the touch, a result of the enhanced intaglio printing process used to create the image. Traditional raised printing can be felt throughout the $100 note, and gives genuine U.S. currency its distinctive texture.

6. Microprinting
Look carefully to see the small printed words which appear on Benjamin Franklin’s jacket collar, around the blank space containing the portrait watermark, along the golden quill, and in the note borders.



5. Gold 100
Look for a large gold numeral 100 on the back of the note. It helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination.

FW Indicator (not shown here)
The redesigned $100 notes printed in Fort Worth, Texas, will have a small FW in the top left corner on the front of the note to the right of the numeral 100. If a note does not have an FW indicator, it was printed in Washington, D.C.

All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued. Visit www.newmoney.gov where you can watch an animated video and click through an interactive note.

More information about the new design $100 note, as well as training and educational materials, can be found at www.newmoney.gov. For media inquiries, call 202-452-2955

A Monopoly Makeover By Artist and Designer Matthew Hollet.

Unlike the modernization of the original MONOPOLY board game by Hasbro, MONOPOLY REVOLUTION, ONOPO is a conceptual re-imagining of the iconic American board game by visual artist and web designer Matthew Hollet.


above: The ONOPO board. The visual echo between the three Os in the original game title and the groups of three spaces on the board inspired my design. The original game presented plenty of opportunity for distilling the design down to an iconographic system representing its basic mechanics.

In an attempt to simplify and clarify the game system, he removed the thematic metaphors (such as place names) and other non-essential elements. Inspired by abstract strategy games, he then designed a minimal iconographic system which uses as little language as possible.


above: Property cards from ONOPO. All text on the original cards has been translated into an iconographic system. The symbols for different types of spaces were designed so that each of these cards would have a bisected circle centered at the top.

Matt says "I enjoy designing and working with systems, and this project was an exercise in consistency and constraint." The name is partly a reduction of the original and partly an homage to Oulipo, the "workshop for potential literature."


above: Instructional cards and bills from ONOPO. The instructional cards were the most challenging part of the game to translate visually for Matt. One constraint he gave himself was to using the same size board, cards and bills as the original. He thought of the project as a re-skinning of the game rather than a complete redesign. Leaving certain remnants of the original also makes the project easier to understand at a glance. For that same reason,he used mostly similar colours.

descriptions, images and quotes courtesy of Matthew Hollet 

If you never saw Hasbro's own modern version of the game, below are some images of Monolopy Revolution Edition which is available to purchase:





Buy MONOPOLY Revolution here

Harper's Bazaar Undergoes Redesign & Launches With Double Gwyneth Paltrow Cover.

above: 2012 Harper's Bazaar March double cover design by Robin Derrick

After ten years, the US version of Harper's Bazaar has undergone a redesign to be unveiled on newsstands February 14th.

The new March cover is a double cover featuring Gwyneth Paltrow shot by photographer Terry Richardson. It was designed by Robin Derrick, who was the Creative Director for ten years of British Vogue until last June.

I wish they'd had to the courage to simply run the clean cover featuring the obscured Paltrow, but alas, they felt the need to include the more traditional looking one featuring content titles and the face of the blonde beauty- undoubtedly thinking that would sell more issues.

They've returned to their original elegant Didot font for the article titles on the cover and the feel of the stark cover is reminiscent of the timeless work of Harper's Bazaar legendary creative director, Alexey Brodovitch.


above: 1956 Harper's Bazaar July cover design by Alexey Brodovitch

The new clean look of the front cover is also similar to my personal favorite cover of theirs from the past few decades designed by Fabien Baron for the September, 1992 issue featuring model Linda Evangelista shot by Patrick Demarchelier and shown below:


above: 1992 Harper's Bazaar September Cover design by Fabien Baron

Here's a look at the Gwyneth Paltrow editorial photos shot by Terry Richardson for the newly redesigned March issue:






above: Terry Richardson photos of Gwyneth Paltrow for the new March issue

WWD reports:
Glenda Bailey clutched the magazine close to her chest, like a Giants running back about to charge the Patriots’ defensive line. It was the first copy of the first redesign of Harper’s Bazaar in a decade, and she was understandably possessive of it.

“Let’s wait a minute,” said Bazaar’s editor in chief, taking a seat in an otherwise empty conference room on the 16th floor of Hearst Tower. “I just returned from the collections. How are you?”

The March issue finally lands on the table and it’s the cover that subscribers will receive. It shows a leggy blonde, wearing a skin-baring, long black dress from relatively new designer Anthony Vaccarello. Her long, wavy hair is covering her face. Is that a model?

“It’s Gwyneth Paltrow,” Bailey proclaimed. “It’s a very daring thing to do, where you don’t immediately see her face.” Bailey added, “As you know, I was the first to develop this two-cover approach.”

Here’s how the new Harper’s Bazaar can be summed up: it’s like the party guest who you recognize when she enters the room, but you know she’s had work done — a lot of work.

The magazine is larger by one inch, the paper quality is noticeably thicker and there is new cover typography. Inside the issue, the pages look less cluttered and thrown together, with more white space, while sections are more tightly edited. So far, there’s less celebrity and the related popcorn stories that can come with that. But in some ways, it still feels like the old Harper’s Bazaar. The black logo is the same. The emphasis is still on high fashion.


above: an example of an interior editorial from the newly redesigned Harper's Bazaar

“It’s going to take a while to get through it,” Bailey said with some pride, paging through all the advertisements in the front of the book. “It’s up 15.5 percent in ad pages, you know. We’re going to be here for a while.”

These are the results of new publisher Carol Smith, who has called March her first issue even though she joined last May. The turnaround in March ad pages is significant. The prior year, ad pages fell 12 percent, to 235. New advertisers include Tom Ford Fashion, Hervé Léger, David Webb, Alberta Ferretti, Alexis Bittar, RéVive, Nexxus and Lucky Brand.

But while the redesign gives Smith and Bailey a new tale to tell, Bazaar still has a lot of ground to make up — it remains the fourth fashion title in terms of ad pages, behind Vogue, InStyle and Elle.

Bailey landed on the first new section, “The List.” Almost every new section starts with the word “the.”

“This is the ultimate list of things to be aware of this month,” Bailey said. Paltrow has also produced a list of her own, “The A List.” Next up, the first of several “exclusives,” in the issue, beginning with a bracelet from Cartier that was originally designed by the brand in the Seventies. Editors at the magazine had been asking about it for years and it’s been reissued. “It really will be the must-have piece,” she said.

A few more tidbits from the issue: Derek Blasberg’s “Best-Dressed List,” an online feature, has become a monthly magazine column. Another story covers 24 hours with Tom Ford. He woke up at 4:30 a.m., took four baths and ate two doughnuts. The beauty section has been expanded, from four pages to 10 in every issue. Bailey has introduced a monthly travel section, “The Escape.” She plans to report on more news every month, to include the latest on art, film, books and trends. And she has kept the monthly feature “Fabulous at Every Age.” Bailey has even expanded upon it, in the beauty section.

Terry Richardson, a longtime contributor, photographed Paltrow for the cover. Karl Lagerfeld, Dan Jackson and Karim Sadli also shot features in the issue. Artist Liu Bolin painted designers including Alber Elbaz and Angela Missoni. “I just saw Alber and he told me there is still paint on his glasses,” Bailey added.

Mark Halperin and John Heilemann wrote a piece about Sarah Palin, pegged to the HBO movie of “Game Change,” based on their book. Lisa DePaulo has a piece about Stephanie Mack, the daughter-in-law of Bernie Madoff, while Vicky Ward wrote about Bernard-Henri Lévy.

When plans for the redesign were revealed in November, many observers were surprised to hear Robin Derrick, former creative director of British Vogue, was hired to consult. He ended up spending about a month on the project, not just working on the magazine but also on all of Bazaar’s social media. Later this year, the magazine will launch e-commerce — the latest move in the ongoing transformation of magazines from merely editorial and advertising vehicles to brands that literally sell the products they cover. “We’ve started to redesign online and we will see that continue,” Bailey added.

She said the new design approach can be summed in one sentence: “It is Didot Caps, Didot Italics and also an introduction of Gotham,” she said, talking typography and taking the magazine back into her hands.

A reporter asked if she could take the issue with her. Bailey replied: “I wish you could but I’m afraid you can’t. These are extremely rare. The team hasn’t even got a copy yet.”

With that, Bailey took hold of the issue and headed to the elevator. The fashion world will have to wait until it hits newsstands on Feb. 14 to see the new look.

images courtesy of Harper's Bazaar

Monopoly Goes Modern. A Good Look At The New Monopoly: Revolution Edition

above: no more paper money, Monopoly Revolution has electronic banking

The classic Hasbro board game Monopoly is issuing a new modern version with a round game board, sound effects, music clips, modern graphics, translucent houses and buildings, clear plastic stand up game pieces and electronic banking.

Monopoly: Revolution Edition

The most obvious difference is the new round board:


The newly designed game pieces are decidedly different from the original pewter 3D charms:


Got To Jail still has the whistle blowing cop, only now he's a modern graphic icon:


And the houses are translucent red:




The press release:


In 2010, the 75 year tradition of buying, selling and negotiating properties in the quest to own it all gets a modern makeover with the introduction of MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition. The new edition reinvents the traditional MONOPOLY game with a new look, featuring a round game board, standout packaging, electronic banking, music and sound effects.

“As MONOPOLY has truly become the world’s favorite family game brand, and is a part of pop culture, we are pleased to celebrate our anniversary by offering new MONOPOLY entertainment experiences for families around the world.”

“The new MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition continues Hasbro’s tradition of providing new and revolutionary entertainment options for families,” said Jane Ritson-Parsons, Global Brand Leader for MONOPOLY. “As MONOPOLY has truly become the world’s favorite family game brand, and is a part of pop culture, we are pleased to celebrate our anniversary by offering new MONOPOLY entertainment experiences for families around the world.”

In 1935, Parker Brothers began selling MONOPOLY, a property trading game, which would quickly become a cultural phenomenon. Seventy-five years later, more than 1 billion people in 108 countries have played the game designed by Charles Darrow and based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

MONOPOLY: Revolution Edition features the traditional streets of Atlantic City, but with property values more reflective of today’s prices. For example, players collect $2 Million when passing “GO” instead of $200. Keeping track of the millions changing hands during game play is an electronic unit that serves as banker, die and music player.

MONOPOLY: Revolution features clips of hit songs from five decades, including “Umbrella,” “Bad Day” and “Drive My Car,” and sound effects throughout the game that bring a contemporary new spin on the classic family favorite.


Buy MONOPOLY Revolution here

Of course, there are tons of Monopoly versions now on the market from specifically branded ones like The Simpsons to Disney versions. Army, Navy... and Star Wars editions, too. But, if the idea of a modern version of the classic board game bothers you, there is an alternative. They have a beautiful wooden replica of their 1935 version:


buy the Monopoly 1935 Deluxe Wood Edition

Logo Face Lift For Saks Fifth Avenue. A Bold and Beautiful Move by Pentagram.

Above: The new updated version, Bierut's chopping up of the well known 'signature' logo

Venturing into San Francisco from Marin County on weekends to shop at Saks (or SFA) with my family as a youngster was always a special occasion. As one of three girls, this was a family excursion for which my mother would demand we 'dress' to go into the city. This meant pantyhose, nice coats and no jeans.

We'd visit the now defunct I.Magnin along with SFA to shop for dresses for upcoming bar mitzvahs and birthdays. It was always exciting and fun and my sweet dedicated father never complained about the four women dragging him into these department stores.

I remember the imposing building off of Union Square and how we'd always park in the Sutter Stockton garage. And, I remember the Saks Fifth Avenue logo. Thick script with its swirls and flourishes, it always made the experience seem 'fancy'.


Above: SFA on Union Square in San Francisco

Well, hardly anyone 'dresses' to go into the city anymore. And venturing into a department store is no longer a 'special experience'. Just as this has changed, so has Saks. And rightly so. I commend them with staying current and hope this encourages Neiman's and Nordy's to update their logos as well.

Below is the article about the new and refreshing logo for SFA reprinted from the New York Times along with additional images and commentary.
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Why would a graphic designer ask a Yale theoretical physicist to calculate how many possible combinations there could be of 64 squares?



It’s because the designer, Michael Bierut, planned to chop up the new logo for Saks Fifth Avenue into 64 squares and to rearrange them in different combinations on bags, boxes, ads and signage. The results have peppered the streets of New York and every other city where Saks has a store since Bierut’s new campaign was unveiled in January. And, in case you’re wondering, the physicist’s answer was lots and lots of combinations — or, to be precise, 98.14 googols (that’s a 1 with 100 zeros after it).


Above: Some of the final box designs

Saks’s chopped-up logo is the latest and most visible example of what graphic designers call a dynamic visual identity. That’s design-speak for a logo that looks different each time you see it — like MTV’s graffiti-esque initials or the customized symbols with which Google celebrates Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day — as opposed to the old-fashioned corporate ones, which always look the same. The traditionalists believe that the more times you see the same logo, the likelier you are to remember it, while the iconoclasts argue that you become inured to the same image over and over and are more apt to notice ones that change or, as Bierut puts it, are “consistently inconsistent.”


When Saks asked Bierut to reinvent its identity, what it wanted was something as memorable — and as marketable — as Tiffany’s classic blue and Burberry’s plaid. Bierut jumped at the chance. A chipper 49-year-old, he’s a graphic designer’s graphic designer who describes the 99 percent of the population who can’t tell Arial from Helvetica as “civilians” with a self-deprecating chuckle. After 10 years of working for Massimo Vignelli, the graphic mastermind of New York’s iconic 1970s subway map, he became a partner at the design firm Pentagram in 1990.


above: Massimo Vignelli's famous NYC subway map from 1972 (please click to enlarge and see clearly)





above: Some of the many logo designs used by Saks over the past few decades


“One of the things Massimo taught me about designing identities is that it’s often easier if you find something that has some history,” Bierut says, “because it still might have a purchase on people’s imagination.” Sifting through the 40-odd logos that Saks had used over the decades, he kept returning to the 1973 signature logo drawn by Tom Carnese for his old boss, Vignelli.


Above & Below: the 1973 signature logo drawn by Tom Carnese for Vignelli in two different versions, both used for many years.


“It was the one that stood out,” he recalls. “Some people thought it was still Saks’s identity, even though it hadn’t been used for years. We asked Joe Finocchiaro to refine it, mostly by making it a little slimmer.” Having created the new logo, Bierut hit upon the idea of chopping it up to usher in the changes to Saks’s packaging, in the same way that Rudolph de Harak designed bright shopping bags with white type for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1978 and Bloomingdale’s celebrated the holidays with different theme bags during the 1980s.

“We wanted something that would be immediately identifiable across the street or through the windows of a moving subway car, and that no one would throw away,” he says. “Blowing up the logo and rearranging the fragments in a million different ways on a grid made the identity much more dramatic.”



Regardless of whether it’s on Fifth Avenue or in the Houston Galleria Mall, Saks is a definitive New York store; the grid refers to the city’s street plan, and the fragments represent the frenzy of its street life. “It’s a metaphor for the larger-than-life experiences you can find on block after block in New York City,” Bierut says. “Though I really don’t expect anyone to notice that. If a Saks customer spontaneously spots the subtext, I’ll send them a gift voucher.”

click here to visit the Saks Fifth Avenue website.

Pentagram