A Practical Medium

Creative Review interviewed Matt Dent, the 26 year-old London graphic designer, who recently won the design competition for the new UK coinage. Based on the Royal Arms, the “unifying” design will be in circulation in late 2008. [Quipsologies]

You’ve mentioned that the playful idea behind the set is something that appeals to you? Can you explain a bit more about this?
My initial excitement over this jigsaw style approach was that I could imagine the coins being played with, arranged and enjoyed in a way in which coinage hasn’t been before. I could see their appeal to children, their interest to adults, and also I could imagine that I’d want to piece them together myself given half a chance. This ‘interactive’ aspect of the jigsaw idea is an exciting angle. Assimilating a design is a satisfying and empowering activity; choosing to create the design as intended or doing something completely different – it’s up to you. Yes it’s coinage, it’s a practical medium, you can still buy your pint with it, but this approach gave coinage some scope to develop a different personality.