Hello vexillologists, vexillographers and vexillophiliacs, I’m back! I’ve been listening to a lot of 99% Invisible, and remembering how much I love flags. I’m taking another crack at Wisconsin. Needless to say, the official state flag of Wisconsin stinks.
Here are the principles of good flag design according to the North American Vexillological Association. They express clearly and succinctly the ideas I believe in and have attempted to express in the past.
- Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
- Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
- Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
- No Lettering or Seals. Never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
- Be distinctive or Be Related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.
https://portlandflag.org/good-flag-bad-flag/
As you can see, the official state flag of Wisconsin fails every test, almost as badly as possible.
I would like to humbly offer my redesign.
Proposed New Wisconsin State Flag
This flag is simple. It has three bold basic colors. It is distinctive. It has no lettering or seals. My design has three basic symbolic ideas.
- The blue is intended to suggest Lake Michigan, Green Bay, and the many other waterways in Wisconsin.
- The flag, when hung as a banner, forms an inverted symmetrical trapezoid suggesting a capitol letter W.
- The red triangle and gold parallelogram can be interpreted as a wedge of cheese.
