Swiss Doc

Issued in Fall 2022, Geneva-based studio RETINAA was enlisted by the Swiss Federal Office of Police to reinterpret the country’s passport with an updated design aesthetic. Design in partnership with Thales and Orell Füssli, the final result utilizes dynamic UV-sensitive designs drawing from the European country’s vast natural landscapes to bring the passport pages to life.

From the simple primary red cover, one might expect a minimalist graphical design within. However, the inside takes a completely unique approach, filling up the negative spaces with abstract technicolor watermarks, geometric patterns, juxtaposed with naturalistic and cartographic illustrations. For example, the ID page of the booklet centers on an image of Pizzo Rotondo summit in the Saint-Gotthard Massif and reveals curvilinear topographical lines under UV lights. Elsewhere, a two-page spread showing an aerial map of alpine peeks features Swiss crosses at the å UV lights.

Posted by: TAWD on March 18, 2025