Good FlaG, Bad FlaG Hw t design Gret Fg This guie ws cmpie b Te Ke, eitr f RAVEN f RAVEN , Jurn f Vexig (pubishe nnu b NaVa). These principes f g fg esign isti the wism f mn pepe wh hve written n the subject, incuing Phiippe Bnurn, Freerick Brwne, Wiim Crmptn, Miche Fu, Jim Ferrign, Richr Gien, Kevin Hrringtn, lee Her, Rph Ke, Rich Kenn, dvi Mrtucci, C Mss, Peter orenski, Whitne Smith, Steve Tsn, Henr Untermeer, n afre Znmierwski.
Good FlaG, Bad FlaG How to Design a Great Flag
Wht is NaVa? Vexigic asscitin (NaVa) is eicte The Nrth americn Vexigic t vexig, the stu f fg histr n smbis m. Fr mre infrmtin but its ctivities, pubictins, n membership, visit www.nv.rg r write:
NaVa 1977 N. oen ave. Ext., PMB 225, Trentn, NJ 08618–21 08618–2193, U.S.a.
ISBN–13: 978–0–9747728–1–3 978–0–9747728–1–3 ISBN–10: 0–9747728–1–X designe b Meiss Sctt © 2006 Nr th americn Vexigic Vexigic assciti n
U se 5
basic principles to create an
oUtstanding flag for yoUr organization , city , tribe, company , family , neighborhood , or even coUntry!
Nrth americn Vexigic exigic asscitin The Flag Experts of the United States and Canada
compiled by ted kaye
WHaT IS a FlaG?
a
fg’s purpse is t represent pce, rgniztin, r persn, gener n rectngur piece f cth, t be seen t istnce, ften mving, n repruce in quntit n in mn sizes.
the five basic principles of flag design
The 5 principes f g fg esign wi e t successfu fg tht ccmpishes tht purpse. Fgs begn thusns f ers g, first use fr miitr purpses n n n then s ientifing signs t se. The evve t represent r huses, then cuntries n ther eves f gvernment, businesses, miitr rnks n units, sprt tems, n pitic prties. Fgs grew ut f herr—the prctice f esigning cts f rms—n fw mn f the sme esign principes. Fwing this guie wi hep n persn r grup pruce gret f g.
A flag should be simple, readily made, and capable of being made up in bunting; it should be different from the flag of any other country, place or people; it should be significant; it should be readily distinguishable at a distance; the colors should be well contrasted and durable; and lastly, and not the least important point, it should be effective and handsome.
The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory . . .
The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes . . .
Limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set . . .
— Ntin Fg Cmmittee f the Cnfeerte Sttes f americ, 1861
Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal . . . anatomy of a flag
Cntn Hist
Fie
F
Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections . . .
1. KEEP IT SIMPlE THE FlaG SHoUld BE So SIMPlE THaT
good
bad
bangladesh
turkmenistan
With tw strng crs n singe smb—the rising sun f inepenence (sight ffset t the hist), this fg succees mirb.
This ver cmpicte rug cntins 5 tritin ptterns! Better t eve it ff n keep the mn n strs.
a CHIld CaN dRaW IT FRoM MEMoRy . . .
F
gs fp. Fgs rpe. Fgs must be seen frm istnce n frm their ppsite sie. Uner these circumstnces, n simpe esigns mke effective fgs. Furthermre, cmpicte fgs cst mre t mke, which ften cn imit hw wie the re use. Mst pr esigns hve the eements f gret fg in them—simpif them b fcusing n singe smb, few crs, rge shpes, n n ettering. avi the tempttin t incue smb fr everb. Ie the esign wi be reversibe r t est recgnizbe frm either sie. dn’t put ifferent esign n the bck.
good
bad
good
bad
congo
west virginia ( usa)
alaska ( usa)
bey of tunisia
With b, cntrsting crs, rge shpes, n pre ines, this fg is s esi recgnize when reverse.
The se itsef is cmpex, the white bckgrun is bring, n the ver esign iffers frm ther stte fgs n in its bue brer.
The strs, stnr U.S. smb, frm the “Big dipper” cnstetin n the Nrth Str, representing the nrthernmst U.S. stte.
Repete with strs, crescents, n the Swr f ai, this 19 th–centur esign’s verwheming cmpexit efets its purpse.
2. USE MEaNINGFUl SyMBolISM THE FlaG’S IMaGES, ColoRS, oR PaTTERNS
good
bad
italy
libya
Bse n the revutinr fg f Frnce, the vertic rienttin f It’s stripes represente chenge t the tpic hriznt stripes f the ruing kingms f Eurpe.
athugh lib’s green fie ws chsen fr its Ismic smbism, si–cr fg is t simpe t represent cuntr, n is meningess when epicte in grsce.
good
bad
SHoUld RElaTE To WHaT IT SyMBolIZES . . .
S
mbism cn be in the frm f the “chrge” r min grphic eement, in the crs use, r smetimes even in the shpes r ut f the prts f the fg. Usu singe primr smb is best—vi thse tht re ess ike t be representtive r unique. Crs ften crr menings: re fr b r scrifice, white fr purit, bue fr wter r sk. dign stripes re ften use b frmer cnies s n terntive t the gener hriznt n vertic stripes f Eurpen cuntries.
good
iroquois confederacy ( usa) “Hiwth’s Bet”, smb fr five tribes since befre 1600, ppers n the tritin bue f wmpum she bes.
bad
navajo nation ( usa) over 20 grphic eements verwhem the viewer n nne re rge enugh t be seen esi.
ukraine The ight bue n ew represent the sk ver whet fies—bth the cr n the irectin f the stripes crr the mening.
organization of american states Beieve it r nt, this fg epicts the fgs f the member cuntries, n must be chnge ech time ne jins, rps ut, r chnges its fg!
3. USE 2—3 BaSIC ColoRS lIMIT THE NUMBER oF ColoRS oN THE FlaG
good
bad
dominican republic
dominica
To THREE, WHICH CoNTRaST WEll aNd CoME FRoM THE STaNdaRd ColoR SET . . .
T
he bsic fg crs re re, bue, green, bck, ew, n white. The cn rnge frm rk t ight. occsin ther crs re s use, such s purpe, gr, n rnge, but the re sem neee in g esign. Seprte rk crs with ight cr, n ight crs with rk cr, t hep them crete effective cntrst. a g fg shu s repruce we in “grsce”, tht is, in bck n white shes. Mre thn fur crs re hr t istinguish n mke the fg unnecessri cmpicte n expensive. Fg fbric cmes in retive imite number f crs—nther resn t stick t the bsics.
These crs prvie bnce n cntrst, eving white crss s “negtive spce” in the mie f the fg.
B using all six bsic fg crs, this fg cretes unnecessr cst n cmpexit. Wh cn see the prrt’s re n bck ee?
good
bad
good
bad
amsterdam
chinese admiral
new mexico
virginia ( usa)
These crs cntrst we, even thugh the re n bck re nt seprte b ight cr.
T mn crs! at the est, the ew n white shu be seprting the rk crs. Whie the rgn is in the psitin f hnr, it is ver hr t istinguish.
Re n ew rec the stte’s Spnish heritge, whie the sun smb cmes frm the Zi Inins. This esign ws vte the best U.S. stte fg b NaVa members.
( netherlands )
(1882)
( usa)
Imgine, 18 ifferent crs in the ffici fg specific tins! Nt n re the ifficut t istinguish, but hving s mn crs rives up the mnufcturing cst.
4. No lETTERING oR SEalS NEVER USE WRITING oF aNy KINd oR
good
bad
côtes d’ armor ( france)
loir–et –c her ( france)
Rther thn the g ste frequent use b French eprtments n regins, Côtes ’armr uses stize segu in the shpe f its cstine.
a thse wrs, pus n inistinguishbe gr shpe . . . Better t hve use the stize rgn n mre interesting bckgrun cr.
aN oRGaNIZaTIoN’S SEal . . .
W
rs efet the purpse: wh nt just write “U.S.a.” n fg? a fg is grphic smb. lettering is ner impssibe t re frm istnce, hr t sew, n ifficut t reuce t pe –pin size. Wrs re nt reversibe—this frces ube– r tripe–thickness fbric. dn’t cnfuse fg with bnner, such s wht is crrie in frnt f mrching bn in pre, r rpe behin speker’s ptfrm—such bnners n’t fp, the re seen frm n ne sie, n the’re usu seen cser–up. Ses were esigne fr pcement n pper t be re t cse rnge. Ver few re effective n fgs—t etie. Better t use sme eement frm the se s smb. Sme gs wrk; mst n’t.
good
bad
good
bad
south carolina ( usa)
south dakota ( usa)
peguis nation ( canada)
ft . providence, nwt ( canada)
The pmett tree represents the “Pmett Stte” fr better thn the stte’s se cu. The crescent mn is in the psitin f hnr.
This fg uses se aNd ettering! The nme f the stte ctu ppers twice.
The cntrsting crs with singe centr smb represent this Inin ntin fr better thn cu n se.
despite the ver pttern recing Cn, this fg (fr n Inin cmmunit) stumbes with virtu inistinguishbe se.
5. BE dISTINCTIVE
oR
BE RElaTEd
aVoId dUPlICaTING oTHER FlaGS, BUT
good
bad
( canada)
acadia
manitoba ( canada)
French–speking acins in Cn pce ew str fr St. Mr, their ntin smb n ptrn sint f mriners, n the fg f Frnce.
Whie the British “Re Ensign” signifies cnnecteness within the Cmmnweth, the istinguishing feture is the sm se. Better t hve use the bisn s the min fg smb.
USE SIMIlaRITIES To SHoW CoNNECTIoNS . . .
T
his is perhps the mst ifficut principe, but it is ver imprtnt. Smetimes the g esigns re re “tken”. Hwever, fg’s smbs, crs, n shpes can rec ther fgs— pwerfu w t shw heritge, sirit, r cnnecteness. This requires knwege f ther fgs. often the best w t strt the esign prcess cn be king t ne’s “rts” in fgs—b cuntr, tribe, r reigin. Use sme f the mn resurces vibe t hep u with fg ientifictin n histr, such s “Fgs f the Wr”: http://www.ftw.net, r ur c ibrr.
good
bad
good
bad
ghana
indonesia
liberia
vermont ( usa)
Using the sme crs use b mn cuntries in afric, this fg shws strng cnnectin t its neighbrs’ fgs.
Except fr its prprtins, this fg is exct the sme s Mnc’s (which h it first), but there is n cnnectin between the tw cuntries . Upsie–wn it is the sme s Pn r s Cntbri, Spin!
Fune b free sves frm the U.S., liberi refects tht heritge with simir et istinctive fg.
This fg is virtu inistinguishbe frm 20 ther U.S. stte fgs, with se n bue fie.
oTHER CoNSIdERaTIoNS
a
rectnge is the stnr fg shpe. Keep the with–t–ength prprtins between 1:1.5 n 1:2. Cnin fgs re usu 1:2; U.S. fgs re usu 1:1.5 r 1:1.67. Squre fgs re unusu in Nrth americ. abnn such rectnges n when meningfu.
TEST yoURSElF FINd THE Good FlaGS aNd THE Bad FlaGS:
Fgs wer. B retining rectngur shpe n viing smbs t the f en, fg cn be hemme repete n given nger ife. The pint f hnr is the “cntn” re—the upper– eft crner. This crrespns t the prt f the fg tht is seen when it hngs imp frm fgpe. The center r eft–f–center psitin is the mst visibe spt fr smb when the fg is fing. Cnsier the fbrictin meths. Curve ines t the cst f sewn fgs. Hes r “negtive spce” hurt fg’s f –biit n wer–biit. “Sww–ti” shpes fr mre esi. a rues hve exceptins. Cr’s “C” is stunning grphic eement. Mrn’s cmpicte heric qurters pruce memrbe n istinctive fg. But eprt frm these five principes n with cutin n purpse.
colorado ( usa)
maryland ( usa)
dn’t w cmmittee t esign fg. Inste, empwer inivius t esign fgs, n use cmmittee t seect mng them. an rue f herr hs imges f nims k twr the hist.
and most of ll, design flg tht looks ttrctive nd blnced to the viewer nd to the plce, orgniztion, or person it represents!
dRaW yoUR FlaG!
