Show me the money

San Francisco – Studio New Deal Design has developed a conceptual device that enables consumers to see and feel their spending.

The copper-coloured Scrip device is billed as ‘a modern replacement for cash’
Users load money onto the device digitally through their smartphone or an ATM

A numeric display at the top of the device reveals the amount of cash that is on it. Users make purchases through a gestural interface that mimics a physical cash transaction. The device’s textured surface, which comprises hundreds of small diamond shapes, changes its form to reflect the amount of cash that is being debited in a visual and tactile manner.

The concept was developed to discourage reckless spending and is a response to the emotional disconnection associated with spending in the age of contactless cards and online banking.

‘As we increasingly spend through contactless and automatic methods, we are left with little time to think about what we are spending or whether we derive any sense of pleasure or pain from the transaction,’ the studio told Dezeen.

The Big Picture

Consumers are seeking products with an emotional value that enable them to feel grounded in a world where digital dominates. To find out more, read our macrotrend The E-motional Economy.