ESDESIGN faculty members named finalists in the competition to design the new euro banknotes
ESDESIGN, the Higher School of Design in Barcelona, part of Planeta Formación y Universidades, celebrates a new achievement in its academic and creative journey, with a proposal developed by its faculty members shortlisted among the ten finalists for the next series of euro banknotes.
On 23 July, the European Central Bank (ECB) unveiled the selected designs. The competition attracted a total of 1,200 submissions from graphic designers, with only ten proposals progressing to the final stage. Among them is the proposal by Rubio & del Amo and Cruz más Cruz.
Rubio & del Amo
Rubio & del Amo is the studio founded by faculty members from ESDESIGN's Online Master's in Digital Graphic Design. Specialising in brand creation, editorial design and packaging, the studio develops projects that combine creativity, strategy and communication. For more than a decade, it has worked with companies and institutions to build visual identities that are clear, functional and full of character.
Cruz más Cruz
Cruz más Cruz is a Madrid-based design and architecture studio renowned for its expertise in visual identity. Led by José María Cruz Novillo and Pepe Cruz, the studio develops projects ranging from brand creation and editorial design to corporate environments and communication campaigns. Its approach brings together graphic design and architecture to create strong, distinctive and recognisable identities.
A new vision for euro banknotes
Created in collaboration with ESDESIGN's faculty members, the design presents the future euro banknotes as a representation of Europe's cultural identity. At the centre of each banknote is a gaze that creates a connection between the figures who have shaped Europe's cultural history and today's citizens. The proposal follows a consistent graphic structure and assigns a distinct colour to each denomination to make identification easier. In addition, when the banknotes are placed horizontally, the design reveals four vertical blocks inspired by the letters that form the word "Euro", a detail that brings visual cohesion to the entire series.
Following the announcement of the ten finalist projects, the European Central Bank has launched a public consultation to select the design for the future series of euro banknotes. Voting will remain open until 21 September 2026, with the winning design set to be announced at the end of the year.
At ESDESIGN, we are proud that an initiative developed by our faculty members has been selected as one of the ten finalists for the redesign of the future euro banknotes. This recognition highlights the talent and expertise of our teaching team, while reinforcing the school's commitment to education that is closely connected to the major challenges of contemporary design and to projects with an international impact.
