Objects for a Cashless Society

Objects for a Cashless Society is a collection of fictional products that respond to the digitization of money. The financial world is becoming increasingly complex. Coins and bills are replaced by alternative money flows and intangible value systems.

Social and emotional aspects getting lost. Technological developments are increasingly moving towards a frictionless transition between the analogue and digital world. But what are the side effects of these developments?

What will this 'digital' world look like? What are the consequences of the loss of physical money? The objects showing alternatives ways to these technological developments. Objects for a Cashless Society showcases the human side and make a complex system tangible again. Stepping away from a society that consequences the loss of human interaction.

Different payments methods inspire different behavioural reactions. The exchange of physical money is a social interaction. Paying with cash inspires greater feelings of pain and loss than paying virtually.

And it's no surprise, given that so many people accumulate credit card debt, that people tend to be less financially responsible when paying in the abstract.

Credits /
Jelle Reith - Electronics
Marieke van Heesbeen - Ceramics
Juuke Schoorl - Photography

Tangible Pin Terminals

The physical experiences in exchanging money turns into a digitized indirect procedure in where the sense of value no longer plays any role. Introducing two new kind of payment devices that gives the digital cash flow a physical form in which mechanics and the value become tangible.

"The Rotation System" is a payment console that uses rotating dials to indicate the amount due. When customers rotate the dials back until the screen reaches zero the money will be taken from the bank account. This device also easily allows for shared payments.

"The Swipe System" is a payment console that use the movement of the swipe to pay. Swiping is an action that belongs to daily use. The physical touch surface ensures that the customer passes on the due amount with his fingertips. This creates the feeling of moving through a payment to stimulate a greater awareness of the value of money.


The sound, weight and feeling of money is getting lost. The sensory experience of digital money is only present visually on a screen. The Vessel offers the possibility to store your digital money at home. Just like in an old sock or under the mattress. A hard drive for your income made from earthenware to symbolize the fragility of a piggy bank.