Dezeen Magazine

Mark Noad's FUK Brexit passport design "truly represents" the political situation

Proposed UK passport design by Mark Noad "truly represents our standing in the world"

With the UK mired in Brexit crisis, this is a good time to revisit this design submitted for our Brexit passport design competition, which seems to sum up how a lot of people feel about the political situation.

Designer Mark Noad submitted this humorous series of three passports for a rebranded UK, called the Full United Kingdom (FUK).

Under his proposal, citizens would be divided up into three types, with a different red, white or blue passport for each. The traditional blue design is for "true Brits, unrestricted by the shackles of Europe" and bears the legend FUK-U.

Mark Noad's FUK Brexit passport design "truly represents" the political situation
Mark Noad's proposed Brexit passport designs would have the words Full United Kingdom (FUK) emblazoned across the front

The EU-like red design is for "anyone else who might have some obscure reason to reside here" and is marked FUK-R. The white version is for diplomats and "truly represents our standing in the world" and is titled FUK-D.

"We need to show we still have a sense of humour," said Noad when he submitted his designs, which were shortlisted for the cash prize of £1,000.

The three versions each feature a crest with the Latin motto "cave quid volunt" (be careful what you wish for) and the French "adieu a mon amies" (goodbye my friends).

Mark Noad's FUK Brexit passport design "truly represents" the political situation
Designed as a set of three, the blue passport is for "true Brits, unrestricted by the shackles of Europe"

When Dezeen first published Noad's design, eagle-eyed commenters noticed that the French motto was misspelled.

"The French translation is wrong," wrote Geoffrey Gaillot. "Goodbye my friends in French is: 'Adieu mes amis'. 'Adieu a mon amies' doesn't mean anything apart [from] that the friends are female and plural, what doesn't make any sense here".

"I don't know whether Mark Noad intended it or not, but you've missed the brilliance of this," responded Geofbob. "We Brits have never spoken or written French properly (and vice versa) and enshrining this ignorance in the UK passport is inspired."

Mark Noad's FUK Brexit passport design "truly represents" the political situation
Ian Macfarlane won Dezeen's 2017 Brexit passport competition with his design featuring a tonal gradient between red and blue

The competition, held in 2017, called for a new passport design that would represent the UK after Brexit.

It was won by Scottish graphic designer Ian Macfarlane for his submission featuring a cover that transitions between the burgundy EU passport and the dark blue of the old, pre-EU British passport.

This video shows all nine proposals shortlisted in the competition

"It represents the 52 per cent spray-painting over the interests of the other 48 per cent," said Guardian architecture and design critic Oliver Wainwright, who was on the jury that selected the winning design. "It is suitably sinister, like an overcast sky."

The UK government is currently trying to negotiate a longer delay to its exit from the European Union. It was originally due to leave on 29 March 2019 but was then offered a short extension to its membership, lasting until 12 April.