Our first objective: make people realize that the Big Issue is not a charity; it's a business and its homeless sales force are real workers. Second objective: explain that the salespeople earn wages through each sale and that those wages can lift them back into society. The focus of our design work was the bond between the magazine's buyer and seller. The receipts would serve as media that would explain the purpose of the Big Issue so the salesperson wouldn't have to. As a result, the buyer's understanding of homelessness would increase and so would sales.

Our gorgeous A4-size receipts force Big Issue buyers to pay attention. Flat when handed out, the receipts are pop-ups that along with smart copy articulate a message the salesperson can't. Simply by handing out this unique media, the salesperson furthers communication. The artistically designed receipts are engaging, which causes the magazine buyer to see the seller in a new light. The receipts have the look and feel of a collectable item, which encourages repeat purchases. Since people will want to collect all five receipts, future sales are ensured. By raising the buyer's understanding of homelessness, the receipts increase sales, too.

On the very first day that the receipts were distributed, three times as many magazines were sold than the previous issue altogether. Seeing the receipts as collectable, some people bought multiple copies of the Big Issue at once. Currently 1,370 homeless people nationwide sell the magazine, handing out a receipt with each sale. The receipts explain the magazine's role and in so doing serve to close the gap of understanding between the homeless and society. In the final analysis, that result is even more valuable than the continuing growth in sales.