The new 2 rupee coin glistened under the KFC lights and as I took a closer look at its over-simplified imagery and smooth form, it looked unlike any other Indian coin I had ever seen. The lucky coin landed itself with a bunch of quirky designers on a hungry Saturday afternoon.
And so it begins the experiment to know how usable the new design of a 2 rupee coin was.
Me: Here’s a bag that contains different coins. Kindly pick up a 1 rupee coin in 5 sec.
Subject A (Moving hands in the bag): Here I found it.
Me: Thanks, who is next?
After testing with half a dozen subjects, the results showed that 1 rupee coin was retrieved only half the time and in the remaining cases it was confused with the 2 rupee coin.
A similar experiment was conducted successfully with a 5 rupee coin without any ambiguity.
While analyzing, we realized that while hunting for the 1 rupee coin, the subjects tried to feel its smooth texture, lighter weight, and limited thickness. The premise for conducting such an experiment was to enact the real life example of taking coin out in a jiffy, say while paying back the auto fellow who is in a hurry to leave, a crowded supermarket where people behind you are waiting in a queue, or in a bus where you cannot let go of the handle bars for too long to pay the money for a ticket. Coins are always given in a hurry because of its low currency value.
Next, we placed a 1 rupee, the new 2 rupee and old 2 rupee coins on my palm with their tails facing up upside. We asked people to identify the value of each coin. The old coins of 1 rupee and 2 rupees were identified correctly by all but not the new 2 rupee coin which failed to clearly distinguish itself from the 1 rupee coin again.
The consequences of failing to immediately recognize coins would pose a problem for a huge chunk of illiterate and visually impaired persons who depend on the physical factors of the coin for immediate comprehension.
So what does it take to design a good coin? Fundamental things like size, shape, color, texture, weight, and so on that does not require a person to read the coin to identify it. Something that are of immediate comprehension to everyone. An excellent example of such a good design is to look at the currency of the European Union. The coins of different values have contrasting shapes and colors and hence can be used unambiguously.
So let’s start making life simple by starting with the small things in life.
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21st May, 2007 at 9:30 am
Nice article. The other day I stuffed my hand in my purse to pull out a one rupee coin to pay the auto. I picked up a new two rupee coin twice and got irritated and finally brought several coins out to pick out the one rupee coin I needed. Five rupee coin can be easily distinguished from the rest. Even a 25 paise coin can be identified easily! Look forward to more insights!
23rd May, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Meghs!
Bravo bravo!
The same principles apply while designing currency notes as well. When a new model is designed, people always compare and think about the old one as if it still existed. And since the old coin and the new one were distinctly different in a size, shape and texture- it was hard to get used to. But design is an evolutionary pattern that keeps unfolding. Hopefully the next time around, we can do the needful and save people from such discomfiting incidents like the one Archana had gone through!
Keep them rolling.
24th May, 2007 at 2:57 am
First principle in designing currency — design all coins and notes at one go and do not design them separately. Indian currency has been designed pretty well but lately some very badly designed notes (like the 500 rupee note) and coins (new 2 rupee coin) have changed the trend.
The worst still is the American currency — all notes are of same size and no one (except very expensive machines) can detect the value of each note. Each note is of the same color too — whow!
Somebody told me that the new 2 rupee coin was designed by the prestigious National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. I really don’t know why they do not do formative and summative tests to understand basic cultural and usability problems? At NID, design probably has changed its meaning from “problem solving activity” to “surface ornamentation”.
24th May, 2007 at 11:22 am
You may check out the coins at http://www.oilempire.us/graphics/Euro_coins.jpg
and notes at http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/data/local/20040727042030_2.jpg
There is an enhanced tactic feel with the much obvious ridges. A good approach of doing user study in blind associations of Europe prior to designing the coins has successfully reflected in the final design.
An effective color variation has also been used to group denominations of currency value. As a result its been easily absorbed by the masses in Europe within considerably short period of time.
17th May, 2010 at 6:07 pm
[...] learnability matters » Analysis of a 2 rupee coin [...]
24th June, 2010 at 5:50 pm
[...] you care; that we can transcend the bureaucratic, babu (sub-)standards of design that produced the coin fiasco a couple of years ago, and have a symbol we can be proud [...]
11th July, 2010 at 5:36 am
virtual adult…
[...] learnability matters ” Analysis of a 2 rupee coin [...]…
21st July, 2010 at 1:27 am
[...] ago. Having seen the most beautiful coins ever minted in India and then having lived though the clumsiness of the new Indian coins (not to mention the insensitivity of their “sleek” new [...]
4th August, 2010 at 3:47 pm
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