California by Ryan Putnam
After noticing the lack of good design found in current license plates in the United States, Atlanta-based graphic designer Jonathan Lawrence decided to give these plates a much-needed makeover.
Lawrence, together with 50 different artists, redesigned these state license plates, giving them fresh, modern designs that feature lovely typography, and colorful illustrations that pay homage to each state.
Our favorite picks from the project include the heart-shaped apple found on the New York license plate, and Kansas’ subtle tribute to its sunflower fields.
“I think American license plate design started to decline once they enabled four-color printing. Once that happened it was kinda like “anything goes” behind your tag number… But license plates are a product of functional design, and you just don’t need all that going on behind important information,” said Lawrence.
Check out the redesigned license plates below, and head here to view the rest in the project.
New York by John J. Custer
Kansas by Matt Chase
Mississippi by Tim Cook
Maine by Sean Ryan Cooley
Texas by Aaron Eiland
Wisconsin by Andy Luce
[via Fast Co. Design, images via States Plates Project]