Those clever and artistic Norwegians are at it again. First they went and made their paper currency look like teeny works of art, and now they are on track to make everyone else’s passports look antiquated in comparison.
As with the currency re-design, Norway’s National Police Directorate held a contest (is this a Norwegian thing?) to give their country’s passports and identity cards a makeover. Oslo’s Neue design firm won the competition and went with a not surprisingly minimalist design. Adhering to the theme of “Norwegian landscape,” the agency created beautiful scenes with minimal detail, using soft colors to convey the beauty of the country, all without overshadowing the document’s main purpose. As is usually the case with Scandinavian design, the sleek and modern lines hold functionality as well. When the tranquil landscape scenes on the pages intended for visa stamps are held under UV light, they reveal a secret. The scene is transformed to a nocturnal version, complete with eerie green glow of the Northern Lights!
The covers are a break from the usual passport look, but sport a more traditional vibe than the interior pages. There are three covers—in red, white, and teal, representing standard, immigrant, and diplomatic designations—each gold-stamped with the national seal. I guess at some point, even the Norwegians acknowledge these are government documents, after all, that will be seen worldwide; no need to be unnecessarily flashy.
Of course, revisions are to be expected as the Neue agency works within the confines of undisclosed security requirements, but the final pieces are sure to be no less stunning. I don’t know about you, but I think the US should hold a contest to re-design our tax forms and drivers licenses that is open to all Norwegian designers and agencies!
This article was last modified on January 28, 2021
This article was first published on November 21, 2014
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