The Edit: five projects including RETINAA’s clean yet complex design for the Swiss passport

Each and every day, we're lucky to discover dozens of interesting and inspiring projects from around the world. From global identities and campaigns to side projects and independently published books, The Edit is home to five of them; every two weeks. It’s not often a passport project comes around, so when design and research office RETINAA (based in Geneva, Switzerland) were invited to work on the new edition of Swiss passport, they were sure to tackle the challenge head-on. In close collaboration with a group of experts led by Fedpoli, a bold design direction was developed that meets the high standards of Swiss security documents. A precious resource and water shapes form the Swiss landscape, symbolising life and motion. Inspired by this notion, RETINAA sought to give fresh impetus to the passport by means of a symbolic journey along Switzerland’s waterways. This imaginary journey, courtesy of the passport, takes us through the 26 cantons, from the Alpine peaks down to the valleys. Alongside the linear visualisations of the peaks and valleys, the passport showcases Switzerland’s cartographic tradition. The passport also pays homage to plenty of references and principles associated with the earlier passport designs. For one, it retains the principle of one page dedicated to each canton, introduced in 2003 by Roger Pfund, but the architectural landmarks have been redrawn and are now only visible under ultraviolet light. Welcoming a new age of Swiss design and innovation, the new passport invites users on an imaginary journey through time and space, exploring themes such as continuity and innovation, tradition and change.