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Identity-Centered Model of Visual Design:
A Case Study of the 50 State Quarters® Program
Angela K. Mak, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Hamilton Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Tel: (515) 294-0503
Fax: (515) 292-5108
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
&
Suman M. Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Hamilton Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
Tel: (515) 294-0496
Fax: (515) 292-5108
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
A paper submitted for presentation at the:
Visual Communication Division
2005 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention
San Antonio, Texas
August 10-13, 2005
Identity-Centered Model of Visual Design:
A Case Study of the 50 State Quarters® Program
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate the role of visual
design by studying the case of the 50 State Quarters® Program of the
United States Mint. We adopt Soenen and Moingeon's (2002) dynamics
of the identities of organizations model to demonstrate how the role
of visual identity is treated as one of the components of collective
identities (i.e. the projected identity) by showing how the creation
of a state quarter can be seen as a crucial element that reflects the
history of a state's past, present, and future.
Introduction
The objective of this paper is to investigate the role of visual
design in demonstrating state identities of the United States. More
precisely, we intend to show visual identity should not be regarded
as merely a graphic exercise and the implementation of a visual
identity program is in fact linked to more strategic issues (Brun,
2002). We adopt Soenen and Moingeon's (2002) dynamics of the
identities of organizations model as our theoretical framework to
demonstrate how the role of visual identity is treated as one of the
components of collective identities (i.e. the projected identity).
To illustrate our proposition, we studied the case of the 50 State
Quarters® Program of the United States Mint. For our research, we
collected secondary data via the U.S. Mint web site, the governor's
office web sites of the 35 states that have been scheduled to release
their state quarters from 1999 to 2005, and news articles about the
design process via Lexis Nexis. Based on these data, we discuss the
main issues at stake for each of the 35 states in its development of
a 25-cent coin. More specifically, we address the relationships
between the different facets of collective identities (Soenen &
Moingeon, 2002) and show how the creation of a state quarter can be
seen as a crucial element that reflects the history of a state's
past, present, and future.
Conceptualization
Collective memory is not a given, not a "natural" result of
historical experience. It is a product of a great deal of work by
large numbers of people, all securing (mostly) public articulation
for the past. Collective memory is a precious resource…it is one of
the most important symbolic resources we have, imbued as it often is
with quasi-sacred meanings and capable of evoking very powerful
emotions (Irwin-Zarecka, 1994: 67).
On October 20, 1996, Congress passed the United States Commemorative
Coin Act of 1996 ("the Act") providing the framework for a possible
new series of quarters to commemorate each of the 50 states (U.S.
Mint, n.d.). According to the Act, the program would honor each of
the 50 states with a quarter emblematic of that state. With a
diameter of 27 millimeters of each state quarter, the 50 State
Quarters® Program not only contains a face value of 25 cents in each
quarter dollar coin but also represent the collective memory of each
state. The visual design of the reverse side of each quarter dollar
coin plays an important role in depicting what the state is to
in-state and out-of-state citizens as well as international travelers.
The five Facets of Identity Management
We adopt Soenen and Moingeon's (2002) dynamics of the identities of
organizations model to illustrate that visual design is relevant to
the strategic issues in reflecting a state's identity (i.e. its
history, geography, and/or heritage). There are five different
facets of identities in their model – manifested identity, professed
identity, perceived identity, project identity, and attributed identity.
Manifested identity. Soenen and Moingeon (2002) explain that "over
time, an organization's identity becomes manifest in its routines,
structure, performance, level, and market positioning, as well as in
symbolic manifestations, such as rites, myths, and taboos, that span
the organization's internal and external boundaries." (p.
20). Manifested identity in this paper is conceived as a state's
"historical" identity because it is a specific set of more or less
tightly coupled elements that have characterized the state over a
period of time. Larcon and Reitter (1979), for example, define
historical identity as a "set of interdependent characteristics of
the organization that give it specificity, stability, and coherence."
(p. 43). The historical identity of a state influences the design
concept of a state quarter because of the Program design
criteria. One of its purposes is "to promote the diffusion of
knowledge among the youth of the United States about the state, its
history and geography, and the rich diversity of our national
heritage." (U.S. Mint, n.d.). Also in stage four of the evaluation
process, the state will appoint a historian, or other responsible
officials or experts, to participate in this collaboration to ensure
historical accuracy and proper state representation of the artwork
(U.S. Mint, n.d.)
The professed identity refers to how organizational members perceive
and understand "who we are" and/or "what we stand for" as an
organization. This definition evokes Albert and Whetten's (1985)
original definition of organizational identity. Albert and Whetten
(1985: 292) defined organizational identity as the organization's
"central, distinctive and enduring aspects". This definition has
been reiterated throughout much of the organizational identity
literature (e.g. Asforth & Mael 1989; Dutton & Dukerich, 1991; Fiol &
Huff 1992; Dutton et al. 1994; Reger et al. 1994; Gioia et al. 1998).
At a doctoral student workshop, Whetten (personal conversation, 2004)
commented that many of the organizational identity scholars did not
fully adopt the definition in their studies. These scholars,
instead, define identity as most central, enduring, or distinctive
about an organization. An identity comprises the shared beliefs
concerning the identity of an organization. It serves as the guiding
principle for organizational behavior and practice. Further, the
more these beliefs reflect organizational goals and the actual work,
the more likely it is that members will identify with the organization.
Ashforth and Mael (1989) wrote that the distinctiveness of the
groups' values and practices in relation to those of comparable
groups may also increase members' tendency to identify with the
organization. Whetten and Mackey (2002) added some specificity to
this definition in calling for a conception of organizational
identity that is unique to identity and uniquely
organizational. This elaboration conceives of identity as the
categorical self-descriptors used by social actors or organizational
leaders to satisfy their identity requirements, to distinguish the
self both from the other and in distinctive comparisons. The two
identity requirements are continuity and distinctiveness.
In terms of the selection of design, each of the 50 designs shall be
selected by the Secretary after consultation with (1) the Governor of
a State commemorates, or such other State officials or group as the
State may designate for such purpose and (2) the Commission of Fine
Arts and reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory
Committee (U.S. Mint, n.d.). The State Governor is authorized to
select at least three, but no more than five, different concepts or
themes emblematic of the State to represent the State's history,
geography, and heritage (i.e. the most central, enduring, and
distinctive characteristic about the State). (See Appendix A)
The experienced identity refers to what organizational members
experience, more or less consciously, with regard to their
organization. It constitutes a collective representation (Soenen &
Moingeon, 2002: 19). Examples of experienced identity are shared
cognitive beliefs, as collective cognitive maps, collective
unconscious structures. social representation, and most importantly
in this context, a collective memory of a State among its
citizens. That is the reason why a State Governor and its State
Commemorative Coin Commission hold public voting to gather feedback
from its citizens to recommend the best proposal submissions to the U.S. Mint.
Soenen and Moingeon (2002) then define projected identity as the
"elements an organization uses, in more or less controlled ways, to
present itself to specific audiences. It notably consists of
communications, behaviors, and symbols." (p. 18). This category is
broader than that of the professed identity: the key distinction
between the professed and the projected identity is that the latter
is mediated. The Program contains educational value and promotes the
historical accuracy and artistic beauty of the designs and the coins
have a commercial life span of at least 30 years and are collected
for generations (U.S. Mint, n.d.). The Program, therefore, is a
"free" advertising for all 50 states because the government would
produce five different designs each year resulting in a ten-year
program life based on our current Union roster of 50 states. Through
the state quarter, it helps a state to reinforce, change, or correct
its image to various publics.
Attributed identities are the attributes that are ascribed to the
organization by its various audiences (Soenen & Moingeon, 200:
17). It differs from the experienced identity which is
self-attributed. Attributed identity is also referred to the term
"reputation." It is defined as "a collective representation of a
firm's past actions that describes the firm's ability to deliver
valued outcomes to multiple stakeholders. It gauges a firm's
relative standing both internally with employees and externally with
its stakeholders, in both its competitive and institutional
environments (Fombrun & Van Riel, 1997, p. 10). A corollary for this
study might be: An attributed identity is a collective representation
of a state's past history that describes a state's rich diversity in
heritage to multiple publics. It gauges a state's relative standing
both internally with the state citizens and externally with its
publics, in both its in-state and out-of-state environments.
Whetten and Mackey (2002) explain that the principal value of
identity as a point of reference in both the study and the management
of image and reputation is that it provides a single, compelling
answer to a variety of related organizational questions such as "what
should our image be," "what feedback from our stakeholders is the
most valuable" and "what aren't we willing to change in response to
stakeholder demands." Identity, therefore, is the backbone of
reputation. Identity claims (i.e. professed identity) are the
standards form which state governors consider different publics' interests.
Conceptions of organizational image and organizational reputation,
Whetten and Mackey (2002) argue, should proceed from the premise that
effective social actors must maintain suitable alignment between
their identity claims, their projected images, and their acquired
reputation. When people see a state quarter, they will form their
evaluations based on their knowledge/experience about the history,
geography, and heritage of a state, as well as understanding what the
most central, enduring, and distinctive characteristics the state has.
Figure 1: The dynamics of identities of an organization (Soenen and
Moingeon, 2002: 27)
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In Figure 1, solid arrows indicate strong (or automatic) influences,
while dashed arrows indicate weak (or potential) influences. Soenen
and Moingeon (2002) identified ten relationships among the related constructs:
1) The projected identity can be an expression of the professed identity.
2) The projected identity is also influenced by the experienced identity.
3) The experienced identity and the manifested identity influence
each other mutually.
4) The experienced identity can also be shaped by the projected identity.
5) The attributed identity is influenced by the projected identity.
6) The attributed identity can be directly influenced by the
manifested identity.
7) The professed identity and the experienced identity may influence
each other.
8) The experienced identity plays a central role in identity dynamics.
9) The projected identity is influenced by the experienced identity.
10) The projected identity is also influenced by the manifested identity.
Figure 2: Visual identity process in the 50 State Quarters® Program
In this study, we simplify Soenen & Moingeon's (2002) model (see in
Figure 2). We assume that manifested identity, professed identity,
and perceived identity influence the visual design of a state quarter
(i.e. the projected identity). We particularly intend to investigate
how the visual design is a key element in communication
strategy. Brun (2002) identified different ways of formulating a
corporate identity (p. 136-137):
• Personality, described as "the manifestation of the company's
self-perception." In order to present itself clearly, the company
must have a clear picture of its real situation. This presentation
is made through:
• Behavior: the company will be judged by its action; therefore,
behavior is the most important medium.
• Communication: communication in the "narrow sense" refers to the
verbal and visual messages. It is linked to behavior, as the message
enables positive aspects of the company's actions to be emphasized.
• Symbolism, which gives an implicit indication of what the
organization represents.
Brun (2002) emphasizes that from a visual identity perspective,
symbolism plays a central role. She classified two different design
levels. The first one is about product and packaging relating to
marketing reflection and brand; the second one is visual identity and
environmental design expressing the organization's
identity. Symbolic (or visual) identity, according to Brun (2002),
plays a key role in image strategy (i.e. the projected
identity). That is because "the decisions relating to the
development of an image strategy that relies upon symbolic
communication are of crucial importance in any approach aiming at
eventually ensuring a company's competitiveness." (p. 138). In the
case of the 50 State Quarters® Program, the creation of the visual
identity of each state is preceded by a genuine diagnosis of identity
through a visual content analysis.
Research Questions
Research questions of this study are posed:
RQ1: What is the projected identity depicted on each quarter design
among the states in the 50 State Quarters® Program?
RQ2: Are there any similarities and differences in the projected
identities among the states?
RQ3: How does the visual design play a major role in a state's
projected identity, in relation to other facets of identities?
METHOD
The total of 35 quarters (1999-2005) representing each state were
coded for this study. Each quarter is a finalized version issued by
the United States Mint. Considering basic criteria set by the U.S.
Mint, a big assumption is that all these quarters are related to the
history, geography, and heritage of each state to some extent. We
created detailed sub-categories to code the projected identity of
each state by major themes and visual characteristics.
Major Themes
Three major themes were identified and coded: (1) American
foundation history, (2) origination or ownership, and (3) economy or
tourism. The theme of American foundation history was coded when a
state adopted visual image(s) of the events, stories, people, and
physical objects in the early history of America such as the Founding
Fathers, the Revolutionary War, and the Declaration of
Independence. Historical events, stories, and people in other time
of history were coded as an extension of this category. Origination
or ownership was coded when a state adopted visual image(s) of the
events, stories, people, and physical objects originated from or
owned by the state. For example, the birthplace of a famous person,
the first flight and airplane, and the state flower were coded as
this category. Economy or tourism was coded when a state adopted
visual image(s) of the events, stories, people, and physical objects
related to the state's major exports and natural scenes soliciting
consumers and tourists. Economic development is a primary motivation
for this category.
Visual Characteristics
Visual characteristics were coded by four measures: (1) visual
object, (2) whether the state outline of land is used, (3) textual
description, and (4) number of visual images. Visual object was
coded as two values – human object and non-human object. Human
object was further coded as named personnel (e.g., Abraham Lincoln
and Helen Keller) and unidentified personnel (e.g., teachers and
farmers). Non-human object was coded as animals (e.g., Carolina Wren
and Kansas buffalo), trees/flowers/fruits (e.g., sunflower, maples,
and peach), natural scenes (e.g., Yosemite Park and Crater Lake), and
physical structures/instruments (e.g., guiding light, ship, and trumpet).
As outline of state land is the most popular symbol for many states,
we coded separately whether it was used or not. Most states used
textual descriptions with visual images. They were coded as official
state name (e.g., the First State, Delaware), state nickname (e.g.,
the Old Line State, Maryland), state motto (e.g., Live Free or Die,
New Hampshire), and explanatory inscription of visual image (e.g.,
First Flight, North Carolina). Lastly the number of visual image was
coded as single image or multiple images excluding any outline of a
state land.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
American Foundation and Other History
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We found a strong correlation between the colonial states and their
projected identity themes. Most colonial states (eight out of 13
states) adopted American foundation history as their visual
identity. Human objects were widely used to describe historical
richness of these states. For example, Delaware used the visual
image of Caesar Rodney, a delegate to the Continental Congress who
cast the deciding vote in favor of the nation's independence. New
Jersey quarter portrayed General George Washington and members of
Colonial Army crossing the Delaware River to important
victories. Massachusetts chose "the Minutemen," the small forces
consisting of farmers and colonists who played a big role to protect
the nation from the British. Non-human objects were also used to
describe historical meaning and stories. The Maryland Statehouse
served as the nation's first peacetime capital and the importance of
the Palmetto Tree in South Carolina dated back to the Revolutionary War.
These states seemed to enjoy relative advantages choosing their
visual identity from the nation's foundation history, which has been
familiar topic among people. Courage, loyalty, and dedication
surrounding human and non-human visual objects are projected as
desirable values attached to the state identity.
We found three states – New York, Missouri, and Texas – used visual
images of historical events, physical objects, and stories not
directly related to the nation's foundation history. For example, the
Missouri quarter depicted Lewis and Clark's historic return to St.
Louis down the Missouri River in the early 19th century.
Origination and Ownership
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More than one-third of 35 states adopted visual images of the events,
stories, people, and physical objects originated from and owned by
the states. Non-human objects dominated this theme with a few
exceptions – Illinois as Abraham Lincoln's birthplace and Alabama as
Helen Keller's. Many physical objects were introduced under this
theme. For example, a self-propelled plane called the Flyer which
was the first flight in North Carolina, musical instruments such as
trumpet, guitar and fiddle representing musical heritage in
Tennessee, and a racecar representing the Indy 500 (Indiana), the
oldest auto race in the world.
The state trees, flowers and animals were also common non-human
objects under this theme. Usually trees, flowers, and animals are
likely to be designated as state symbols because they are abundant in
or originated from the state. The quarters using these objects are
more likely to have multiple images than a single image because these
objects can be easily displayed with other objects.
Economy and/or Tourism
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Among the 35 released state quarters, 12 of them used this theme in
their core design concepts. The States of Georgia, Vermont, and
Wisconsin adopted the economy theme with non-human objects. For
example, Georgia chose a real peach – a symbol long associated with
the state – within the confines of a silhouetted outline of the
state. It is because Georgia has become the commercial leader of the
region and its nickname, The Peach State, reflects the importance of
peaches in the Georgia agricultural economy (Netstate,
n.d.). Georgia state quarter design may be confusing to some US
citizens because "The Georgia quarters look much like the regular
ones on the 'heads' side." (Hendrick, 1999, p. 6). This design,
however, used the official state tree, Live Oak, and state motto,
"Wisdom, Justice, Moderation" for inscription to deliver a strong,
consistent image.
The design of Vermont state quarter, on the other hand, honored its
nickname, "The Green Mountain State" where it was the first state
admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies. The design
featured Camel's Hump Mountain with an image of maple trees with sap
buckets held by a farmer in the forefront. Historically, American
relied on Vermont's maple sugar for much of its sugar supply until
the 1800s when cane sugar was introduced (U.S. Mint, n.d.). The
state quarter highlighted that Vermont is most famous for its skiing
and the production of maple sugar and syrup. Again, a state motto,
"Freedom and Unity" was inscribed in Georgia State quarter. Arkansas
quarter design portrayed the image of rice stalks, a diamond, and a
mallard (state bird) gracefully flying above a lake to emphasize its
nickname, "The Natural State." Wisconsin projected the economy image
most heavily among all the 35 states. The design depicted an
agricultural them featuring a cow, a round of cheese, and an ear of
corn, as well as bore an inscription of the state motto, "Forward"
(U.S. Mint, n.d.).
The rest of the states in this category focused more on the tourism
and/or natural beauty of the states. Almost all of them chose
non-human objects for the visual design. Scenic places included New
Hampshire's unique rock formation, The Man of Mountain, on Mt. Cannon
in the Franconia Notch gateway, Rhode Island's famous Narragansett
Bay and Pell Bridge, Maine's Pemaquid Point Light, Michigan's Great
Lakes system which forms the largest body of fresh water in the
world, California's Yosemite Valley, Minnesota's 10,000 lakes image
with two people fishing, a loon (state bird) on the water, and a
state outline, Oregon's Crater Lake which is the deepest lake in the
nation, and West Virginia's New River Gorge with the human intellect
in 1978 to build the world's largest steel span and the second
highest bridge in the United States.
Some interesting observations were found in analyzing the
images. First, besides Kansas, all the state quarters released in
2005 chose the tourism theme to show the natural beauty and popular
tourist attractions. It might be interesting to see if the state
quarters (i.e. a free publicity tool) can help the states' tourism
industry. Second, California is the only state used human-object to
depict the natural beauty image of the State. John Muir was a famous
naturalist and conservationist in American history. In 1892, he
helped form the Sierra Club to protect the Yosemite National Park,
serving as that organization's President until his death in 1914
(U.S. Mint, n.d.). Sadly, The Man of the Mountain fell from its
perch on May 3, 2003. It indirectly gave a negative connotation to
the state motto, "Live Free or Die" when people see both the Man and
the motto on the coin.
The Outline of a State
For the U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters® Program, about two-thirds of the
35 states did not use outline of state land which has been popular
visual symbol for many years. Part of the reason may be that "most
collectors haven't liked designs featuring a state outline on the
quarter's back side," commented by William T. Gibbs, news editor of
Coin World, the weekly coin-collectors magazine (St. Louis
Post-Dispatch, 2003). Although it seems premature to generalize this
observation, it would be interesting to observe this pattern after
the remaining 15 states release their quarter designs. If this
pattern holds, then we may conclude that state outline loses its
power as a visual symbol. One possible reason would be state outline
is a mechanical and impersonal symbol which is limited to be
communicated with audience. There is not much room for negotiation
and development of meaning in this type of visual image.
Inscriptions
High diversity in textual descriptions was not found in this
study. More than 90% were inscription of visual symbols such as
titles of stories and names of people and buildings. Although we
found some official state names, nicknames, and mottos, we believe
that these inscriptions function as textual captions of visual
objects on the coins.
Single Vs. Multiple Images
However, we would recommend some caution about choosing multiple
images over a single image. The canvass (diameter) of this quarter
design is very small—about less than one inch. Multiple visual
images may distract audience attention and fail to lead to an
effective reception. Even when multiple images are selected, visual
consistency is highly recommendable. In other words, homogeneous
objects (typically non-human objects) seem to get more attention and
memory among people than heterogeneous ones. For example, the major
theme of both Tennessee and Louisiana were the origination and
ownership of musical heritage and both states used multiple non-human
objects. There were three musical instruments (trumpet, guitar, and
fiddle) harmoniously placed together at the center of the Tennessee
quarter. In contrast, one trumpet, a state bird (Pelican), a state
outline, and an inscription "Louisiana Purchase" were loosely
displayed or even scattered on the Louisiana coin. Concentration and
simplicity are important to the audience side in case of multiple
images as well as single one. Results of this study show that the
most central, enduring, and distinctive characteristics, according to
Albert and Whetten's (1985) identity definition, were highly relevant
in state quarter design.
Reinforcing Vs, Changing the Projected Identity
The released state quarters will be in circulation for more than 30
years and will have a lasting effect on each state's projected
identity. Many states chose visual images to reinforce their current
identity but some states tried to project a new identity to replace
the old (or more familiar) one. Although Iowa has long been a leader
in agriculture, the State chose a one-room schoolhouse with teachers
and students representing "foundation of education." This is a good
example to show how a state used the State Quarters® Program as an
opportunity to change its current image into a new one.
Since many Americans already view Wisconsin as a producer of dairy
products and corn, we tend to agree that the Quarter Program is a
missed opportunity to project another aspect of the State. A
Wisconsin resident commented:
As a resident of Wisconsin, I view the quarter design as
stereotypical and tiresome. I think the quarter only furthers the
State's reputation of agriculture when Wisconsin has more to
offer. One of the three final designs selected, I prefer the early
exploration design that features a fur trader and Native American on
a canoe with a scenic forest background. Wisconsin was an important
trade route for early American exploration and this design captures
the State's rich fur trader history. Most Americans think of
Wisconsin as flat farmland when it actually is very hilly with
expansive forests in the north. This design features the beautiful
state forests which would have been a positive image to project.
The change of a state's project identity, of course, involves certain
degree of risk taking. In particular, Kansas featured a buffalo and
sunflower motif (state flower), emblematic of the State's history and
natural beauty. The reason is that "each of these two design
elements is a visual reminder of our Nation's Heartland. They
feature prominently in the history of the territory, and both were
found in abundance throughout the State in the middle of the 19th
century when Kansas gained its statehood." (U.S. Mint, n.d.). In the
eyes of a vast majority of US citizens, however, they do not know
buffalos were once so abundant in Kansas. For instance, one of the
young resident in Iowa said, "Perhaps, then, the buffalo was a good
choice. Instead of having to drive out to Yellowstone National Park
in Wyoming to see buffalo, people could just drive down to the Kansas
plains." The change of identity needed to be backed by strong
external communication (e.g. public relations and advertising
promotions) as illustrated by Brun's (2002) study of France Telecom
in creating its new visual identity (Brun, 2002).
The case of the 50 State Quarters® Program demonstrates that the
visual projected identity can be seen as a crucial, strategic
component to reflect a state's past, present, and future. Through
this project, we (as international scholars) learned a great deal
about all the 35 states history, geography, and heritage. The visual
images of the state quarters composed a story of the American history
to various audiences (e.g., its citizens, young generation, and
foreigners). This study relied on the description of state quarters
from the U.S. Mint web site. Scholars who are interested in the
quarter study might compare the reception of the messages between
those who have the collective memory (or memories) of a state and
those who do not.
In addition, the focus of this study does not include the power
struggle during the decision-making process. Parties involved
included citizens of a state, state governor, historian, Commission
of Fine Arts, Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee,
Secretary of U.S. Treasury, and the U.S. Mint. Scholars can further
analyze the news articles about the different stages of coin
selection, as well as interview key parties to measure the congruency
and/or gaps.
Because of the size of the state quarter, simplicity and consistency
of identity claims are highly recommended. Future studies will be
about to measure the eye focus and movement of people when they see a
state quarter in various distance through an eyeball tracking machine.
The U.S. Mint has developed the 50 State Quarters® Program Lesson
Plans for elementary and middle schoolteachers to educate
schoolchildren about the rich diversity of American history. For
educators who teach visual communication and other related
disciplines, such as design, advertising copywriting, and public
relations strategy, this Program is also useful to teach college
students (our future industry professionals) to understand the
importance of identity-centered model of visual design practice.
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Appendix A: The United States Mint Guidelines for the 50 States
Commemorative Coin Program Act Design Criteria
1) Designs shall maintain a dignity befitting the nation's coinage.
2) Designs shall have broad appeal to the citizens of the state and
avoid controversial subjects or symbols that are likely to offend.
3) Suitable subject matter for designs include state landmarks
(natural and man-made), landscapes, historically significant
buildings, symbols of state resources or industries, official state
flora and fauna, state icons, and outlines of the state.
4) State flags and state seals are not considered suitable for designs.
5) Consistent with the authorizing legislation, the states are
encouraged to submit designs that promote the diffusion of knowledge
among the youth of the United States about the state, its history and
geography, and the rich diversity of our national heritage.
6) Priority consideration will be given to designs that are enduring
representations of the state. Coins have a commercial life span of
at least 30 years and are collected for generations.
7) Inappropriate design concepts include, but are not limited to
logos or depictions of specific commercials, private, educational,
civic, religious, sports, or other organizations whose membership or
ownership is not universal.
Appendix B: The summary of major themes and visual characteristics.
State
Major theme
Major object
State
outline
used as background? (Y/N)
Official state name, nickname, motto or inscription?
(Y/N)
Single or multiple image(s)
(S/M)
Delaware
American foundation history
Human object: Named personnel (Caser Rodney)
N
Y – official name
S
Pennsylvania
American foundation history
Human object: Statue
Y
Y - motto
S
New Jersey
American foundation history
Human object: Named (George Washington) and Unidentified (Statesmen) personnel
N
Y - inscription
S
Georgia
Economy
Tree and Fruit-oak, peach
Y
Y-motto
M
Connecticut
American foundation history
Tree-oak
N
Y-inscription
S
Massachusetts
American foundation history
Human-statue
Y
Y-nick name
S
Maryland
American foundation history
Arch structure/tree
N
Y-nickname
M
South Carolina
American foundation history
Tree/bird/flower
Y
Y-nickname
M
New Hampshire
Tourism
Non-human: natural scene
N
Y-motto
M
Virginia
American foundation history
Non-human: ships
N
Y-inscription
S
New York
History
Human-statue/star
Y
Y-inscription
M
North Carolina
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: airplane
N
Y-inscription
S
Rhode Island
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: arch structure, boat
N
Y-official state
M
Vermont
Economy/
Tourism
Tree/natural scene
N
Y-motto
M
Kentucky
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: structure/
animal
N
Y-inscription
M
Tennessee
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: instrument/stars
N
Y-inscription
M
Ohio
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: airplane
Human: astronaut
Y
Y-inscription
M
Louisiana
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: instrument/animal
Y
Y-inscription
M
Indiana
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: car/stars
Y
Y-inscription
M
Mississippi
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: flower
N
Y-inscription
S
Illinois
Origination/
Ownership
Human: named (Lincoln)
Non-human: land/structure
Y
Y-inscription
M
Alabama
Origination/
Ownership
Human: named (Helen Keller)
Non-human: plant/flower
N
Y-inscription
M
Maine
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: structure/boat
N
N
M
Missouri
History
Human: named
Non-human: structure
N
Y-inscription
M
Arkansas
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: natural resources/tree/bird
N
N
M
Michigan
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: natural scene
Y
Y-inscription
S
Florida
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: ship/space shuttle/Tree
N
Y-inscription
M
Texas
History
Non-human: natural star
Y
Y-inscription
S
Iowa
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: structure
Human: teachers/students
N
Y-inscription
S
Wisconsin
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: animal/plant/food
N
Y-motto
M
California
Economy/
Tourism
Human-named (John Muir)
Non-human: natural scene/bird
N
Y-inscription
M
Minnesota
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: natural scene/animal
Human: fishers
Y
Y-nickname
M
Oregon
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: natural scene
N
Y-inscription
S
Kansas
Origination/
Ownership
Non-human: animal/plant
N
N
M
West Virginia
Economy/
Tourism
Non-human: natural scene/structure
N
Y-inscription
M
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