What's in Store

I was at a Starbucks recently and saw this display at the pick-up counter. The huge "GOOD" really caught my eye and I was intrigued by the well-designed display. "Get in on the conversation" and "Fresh topics each Thursday" were the second reads. Obivously this had something to do with getting involved with larger global/community issues. So I picked one up and decided to check it out. As with all things that must pass over the Starbucks threshold, it was very nicely designed. An approximately 6" x 6" quarter-folded leaflet on newsprint--definitely on a budget, but stylishly so. Issue No. 1, even--made me feel like I'd discovered something. The first spread, with an introduction about what this was about. A weekly leaflet designed to make you think about various topical issues. And most intriguing of all, "Pay whatever you want" for a year's subscription. When the leaflet is fully open, there is a large graphic that gives you a ...

We all collect stuff, some fabulous and arty/special; some pop-culture/trendy, some pedantic/everyday American -- like coins. Compared with currency and coins in other countries, American money has had limited popular interest, that is until the state quarter project was introduced in 1999, with Delaware. The series inspired an unprecedented collecting craze that has brought more than $3.8 billion profit to the U.S. Mint and has made the state quarters the most successful coins in U.S. history. We have had very few interesting pieces since the re-issuance of $2 bills and the coining of the Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollars -- now we're looking forward finding to the 50th state quarter, Hawaii, in our change at the grocery store, toll booth or laundrymat. I collect other stuff, and am not really a coin enthusiast, but I was drawn to the state quarters because of their diversity and because of the innovative, audience-participation design process. As in the workflow at JDA, the ...