Zachary Scott interprets the concepts of the "Year in Ideas" issue with a whimsical approach. The cover photograph (Blackboard) incorporates all of the new ideas of 2004 included in the issue. The other images illustrate specific ideas described in the issue: Self-Storage (illustrates that in today's fast-paced society, people are finding small places to rest and recuperate during the day); Employable Liberal Arts Major (illustrates the recent trend of career development programs being offered at liberal arts universities); Presenteeism (research has shown that sick employees who go to work may be more costly to their company than if they had stayed at home); Acoustic Keyboard Eavesdropping (illustrates how it is possible to eavesdrop on a typist's key strokes and distinguish what is being typed).