The People on the $20 Bill

Here are Stacy’s thoughts on their work…

“I would say that we tried to represent the primacy of the people by making them a central part of each bill.  The picture of people on the Mall, the “faceless” people as the foundation of the building.  We were very focused on the visual and symbolic representation of the people.  The interactive idea of the bill was in keeping with the times.  We actually had a discussion about paper bills becoming obsolete and that people normally pay using plastic.  (I haven’t written a check in five years–Germans don’t do that.)  So we did discuss the relevancy of the bills in those terms.  Like Christina said, people look at the quarters because there is a reason to.  They’re new and have something to represent each state on them.  We figured that since people are excited about seeing themselves (and like to see famous people–just take a stroll down Hollywood Blvd to validate that idea) combining regular people with historical figures, celebrities, and then possibly current citizens–via the web–would be interactive… The Internet is not going away–might as well maximize it.”

Flip side of $20 bill

The interactive idea included in this scheme allows citizens to submit their own photo via the web. The image of people on the mall in Washington would then include celebrities as well as a selection of the photos submitted online via a proposed website, article1section8.gov. The team imagined this might create as much interest in the new currency as there has been in the new quarters issued in recent years. Other topics of debate for this group included how to represent Federalist and Antifederalist paradigms, how to incorporate the Preamble of the Constitution and how to best include the three branches of government. While Stacy decided to leave these topics to her colleagues to discuss with us as they have time, she pointed to a question for further consideration… what problems might emerge from this scheme?

Michael Bierut, a designer writing for The Atlantic, suggested the design of U.S. currency is something we should all consider. Noting that the first dollar bill issued in 1862 was an “exuberant affair, designed to resemble a formal certificate,” Bierut suggests the back of the current dollar bill looks like “a cake that has been decorated within an inch of its life.” While Beirut had principles of good design in mind rather

The $10 Bill

than constitutional principles, some of the ideas submitted for the Dollar ReDe$sign Project suggest there is an opportunity to communicate more about who we are through our currency.

The By Design blog on the NY Times capitalized on these efforts and proposed the road to economic recovery might lie in economic redesign–not just our currency but all that paperwork for your new mortgage and the explanation of benefits from your healthcare provider. Allison Arieff wants us to consider, “good design can make the nonsensical beautiful. But more importantly, it can make what seems to be nonsense… clear.”

If there is an opportunity to make certain principles more clear through the design of our currency, what do you think should be there?

Flip Side of $10 Bill

The Rangeview building is nearly quiet this afternoon. It isn’t that the exchange students all went to the beach today but that this year’s National Academy has run out of time.

The machines still hum but the electricity of rigorous academic work is missing. From a discussion of constitutional citizenship befitting an intelligent people to an afternoon of panel presentations, our Friday was heavy with hard work and world-making ideas.

This is the Academy that forever has the story of the L.A. quake during a lecture and 100 different strategies for propping a door open. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many ice cream sandwiches in three weeks time!

As the group made their way to the exit this morning, we all wondered about Infanta’s super early super shuttle. It looks like she made it. There was an emergency mission to reunite Zeke with his toiletries at LAX. There might be room here for a joke about his short-shorts but I’ll let it pass. Todd had just one more moment of frustration when the van driver couldn’t find his reservation but it was no problem for Mir. He took the opportunity to have one more cigarette.

But there’s too much that’s happened here to simply walk away. What will you do with it all?

Politicolor is a space to talk through it. The 2007 crew has used Politicolor to share their work during the Academy and express their appreciation. And, remembering time with new friends or out of this world experiences is exactly how Politicolor got its start.

What do you want to remember? Alumni, don’t hesitate to join the conversation by telling us how the Academy has “haunted” you this past school year. This crew from 2008 might need your help to find solid ground as they return to school. If anyone would like to share their work from the Academy (either the writing project or the panel presentation), e-mail me and let’s share it.

So, one more afternoon of crafting questions to continue the conversation….

What thoughts did you have as the National Academy drew to a close?

How is the work of the Academy threatening to reverberate through your teaching and thinking?

What are you most proud of when you review your writing assignment or panel presentation?

Did a colleague’s presentation provoke a new degree of clarity or spark a new curiosity?