Flagsplusflags by AGAS - the Flag Company

Introduction: How to Design a Successful Flag

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.

-- National Flag Committee of the Confederate States of America, 1861

The general purpose of a flag is to represent a country or organization, usually on a rectangular piece of cloth with specific colors or symbols to signify meaning. First-class flag design will lead to a great flag that accomplishes that purpose.

Flags have been used for thousands of years by the earliest civilizations for military purposes on land and at sea. Flags have since evolved into symbols that can represent almost anything. Today there are organizational flags, royalty flags, country flags, distinct levels of government flags, businesses, military ranks and unit flags, sport team flags, college flags, political party flags and much more.

Flags developed out of heraldry, the practice of designing coats of arms. Today flags still follow many of the same design principles.

By following this guide, you will be able to produce a successful flag.

General Flag Framework:

Hoist

Fly

Steps to Design a Successful Flag

Design: The flag design should it clear, basic, straightforward and uncomplicated. The flag should be so simple that it can be easily remembered and reproduced. Also, avoid duplicating other flags. Flags must be seen from a distance. Under these circumstances, only simple designs make effective flags. Furthermore, complicated flags cost more to make, which often can limit how widely they are used.

GOOD

BAD

Congo

West Virginia ( USA)

-strong, contrasting colors

-Large shapes

-Parallel lines

-Easily recognized when reversed.

-Complex seal

-Boring white background

GOOD Bangladesh Turkmenistan

-bold flag colors

-a single symbol, the rising sun of independence (slightly offset to the hoist)

BAD -complicated by 5 traditional patterns

-better to remove the patterns and keep the moon and stars.

GOOD: Alaska ( USA) The stars, a standard U.S. symbol, combine into the "Big Dipper" constellation and the North Star, representing the northernmost U.S. state.

BAD: Bey of Tunisia

-stuffed with religious symbols

-overwhelming complexity which defeats its purpos

Symbolism: The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what the flag symbolizes.

Symbolism can be found in the central graphic element, in the colors used, or sometimes even in the shapes or presentation of the parts of the flag.

Generally a single symbol is most successful. Avoid those that are less likely to be representative or too unique. Colors often carry meanings; consider these meanings when designing your flag.

Diagonal stripes are often used by former colonies as an alternative to the generally horizontal and vertical stripes of European countries.

GOOD

BAD

Iroquois Confederacy ( USA)

Navajo Nation ( USA)

"Hiawatha's Belt", a symbol for five tribes since before 1600, appears on the traditional blue of wampum shell beads.

-the graphic elements overwhelm the viewer

-none are large enough to be seen clearly

GOOD

BAD

Italy

Libya

-clear design

-strong colors

- Libya's green field was chosen for its Islamic symbolism, but a solid-color flag is too simple to represent a country, and is insignificant when depicted in grayscale.

GOOD

BAD

Ukraine

Organization of American States

Both the blue and yellow colors and the direction of the strips carry meaning for the Ukrainian flag.

This flag depicts the flags of all the member countries, and must be updated each time a member’s flag is updated.

-complicated

-difficult to duplicate

Colors: Try to limit the number of colors on the flag to a maximum of three strong, well contrasted colors.

The most popular flag colors are red, blue, green, black, yellow, and white, ranging in shade to maximize contrast and design. Purple, gray, and orange are also used, but they are less frequent in successful flag designs.

In order to create an effective contrast, combine dark colors with a light color, or light colors with a dark color. A good flag is always recognizable, that means the flag should reproduce well in gray-scale.

Stick to four colors because more than that make the flag hard to distinguish, complicated and costly. Something else to consider is that flag fabric comes in a relatively limited number of colors—another reason to stay with simple colors.

GOOD

BAD

Amsterdam ( Netherlands)

Chinese Admiral (1882)

- Well contrasted colors

-Too many colors

- the light colors should separate the dark colors

-it is difficult to distinguish what the dragon graphic

GOOD

BAD

Dominican Republic

Dominica

-The colors are balanced and contrasted between ligh and dark

-By using six basic flag colors, this flag creates complexity and is costly to produce

GOOD

BAD

New Mexico ( USA)

Virginia ( USA)

Red and yellow recall the state’s Spanish heritage, while the sun symbol comes from the Zia Indians. This design was voted the best U.S. state flag by NAVA members.

-Too many different colors

-difficult to distinguish the design

-many colors drive up the manufacturing cost.

Avoid words and seals: Words defeat the purpose of the flag’s symbolism. Why not just write the name of the country on the flag? A flag is a visual symbol. Words are difficult to read from a distance, impossible to recognize backwards or on the reversed side, hard to sew and difficult to reduce to small sizes. A flag is not a banner, which is usually seen closer up and only from one side. A flag should still be recognizable when it is flapping in the wind.

Seals were intended for placement on paper, in small detail, to be read at close-up. Rarely do seals make effective symbols on flags. If a seal associated with the subject of your flag already exists, you can take an element of the seal and place it as a simple graphic on the flag.

GOOD

BAD

South Carolina ( USA)

South Dakota ( USA)

-The palmetto tree is taken from the seal of the South Carolina seal, but represents the state much better than the entire seal would.

The seal and inscription is overwhelming.

GOOD

BAD

Côtes d’Armor ( France)

Loir-et-Cher ( France)

-Stylized, yet simple while still maintaining important symbol.

-Too many words

-indistinguishable gray shape

More effective to use the stylized dragon on a more interesting background color.

GOOD

BAD

Peguis Nation ( Canada)

Fort Providence, NWT ( Canada)

-Contrasting colors with a simple central symbol

-Confusing pattern

-indistinguishable seal

Distinct or Relative: Your can adopt elements from other flags to show connections but avoid duplicating other flags. A flag’s graphics can resemble the symbols, colors, and shapes of other flags, as powerful way to illustrate a shared tradition, make a statement of alliance, or show a historical connection.

GOOD

BAD

Ghana

Indonesia

-The colors of the Ghana flag are shared with the flags of many African countries to show a geographical connection.

- The Indonesian flag is an exact duplicate to the flag of Monaco, except for its proportions. Monaco had the flag first but here is no relation between the two countries.

-Overturned it is identical to the Polish flag and the flag of Cantabria, Spain!

Important Flag Tips to Remember:

-The elements of a great flag focus on a single symbol, a few colors, large shapes, and no lettering. -Never use writing or an organization’s seal

- Be distinct.

-If possible the design will be reversible or at least recognizable from both sides. Don’t put a different design on the reverse back.

-A useful way to start the design process can be to research the theme of the prospective flag and its flag roots by country, tribe, or religion.

Most of all, design an attractive and balanced flag that fits the place, organization, or person it represents!