© What do you think of the results? Green represents the state's lush forests. There’s so much irony here, that I find it hysterical.). The broad blue stripe is for the mighty Mississippi River itself. My variant starts with the flag of Hampshire, which has red over yellow, with a crown on the red half and a red rose of Lancaster on the bottom half. Most are just seals on a blue field (nicknamed seals on a bed sheet). This is a flag that I think New Yorkers could be proud of. My redesign starts with an emerald field, and was influenced to some degree by Japanese city and prefecture flags, showcasing Seattle’s location on the Pacific Rim. This redesigned flag for Nevada by John Karp attracted considerable local attention and won two public contests in 2001. Colorado has a flag that lots of people have rated highly. My rework combines the state colors of yellow and black with the bee motif used by the Mormon settlers, representing industry, hard work, and community. But Ed Mitchell has decided to redesign all 50 U.S. state flags. Hence this version of the flag, with the brown triangles representing the mountains and the starred red gemstone in the center. I’m a little bit of a flag geek. The red field is for the people of Virginia (or possibly the blood of tyrants). It looks to all the world like a palm tree and a crescent moon. (I do have another reason for maintaining South Carolina’s flag. It is known as the “Gem State”, and is one of the only places on earth where one can find star garnets—the state gemstone. And just what is the UK flag doing in there!? Visit our corporate site. Update: I was looking through a catalog of face masks last night and there were a few that were of flags. My variant keeps the blue field but adds a lighter wave motif, for the waters of the Puget Sound and the port that is Tacoma’s lifeline. Actually, my design shown here was a bit of a gimme. Tennessee has one of the better flags, with its unique three-star design (representing the major regions of the state) using bold colors. Kansas is the “Sunflower State”, so why not take the sunflower from the current flag and use it as part of a wider theme? Surprising but true. It does not need to be changed. New York: state coat of arms on a blue field. And they represent the state and its history. It's a beautiful flag, but IMO putting an English nobleman's symbols of heraldry on a state flag isn't cool either. Presto: perfectly good flag, representing Wyoming’s history as a plains state. Taylor (Tsoodził, blue), San Francisco Peak (Dook’o’oosłííd, yellow), and Hesperus Mountain (Dibé Ntsaa, black). And the six-pointed star recalls an emerald, which has a natural hexagonal lattice. My redesign combines two symbols. The result is distinctive and could be easily recognized from afar. By reversing the colors and adding the fusils and crosses pattée, we have a perfectly good flag for New Jersey that recognizes its founding. I was inspired by the redesign of the world flags by u/EleanorCatherine, and wanted to do the US state flags. What do you think of these flag designs? I’ll take it. However, by my criteria for flags, it does a great job. My redesign is far less complicated. The twenty-five smaller stars represent Arkansas’s position as the twenty-fifth state. Creative Bloq is supported by its audience. Here is a distinctive state flag that would be easily recongizable. For my design, I took the idea of the “Land of the Midnight Sun”, with a yellow on a black field. The commission charged with presenting a new Mississippi state flag to voters in November on Tuesday heard from a vexillologist, or expert on flags. Four diagonal lines (in a skewed diagonal hash sign) run around the center. The blue stripes on either side represent Puget Sound and Lake Washington, which border Seattle to the west and east. My redesign keeps the diamond, and the three large stars representing Arkansas’s past as part of Spain, France, and the United States. I’ve also made its points needle-sharp, referencing another famous landmark, the Space Needle. 818 x 675 jpeg 110kB. Alabama is the “Cotton State”, which presents a problem: it is still a big part of the state’s economy, and it’s certainly historical, but it has an undeniable connection with slavery. The Nebraska state capitol was the site of a truly embarrassing screw up: it flew upside down for ten days in 2017, and no one noticed. ), Video editing software: best tools in 2021, New Nintendo Switch design has Super Mario fans fuming, Wax figures museum goes viral for all the wrong reasons. ). Ranier, or “Tahoma” in the native Lushootseed languages. 25 ideas for a new NJ state flag. State seal. To this I added a bundle of five white arrows, from New Hampshire’s original state seal. When you look at them all together, there’s no indication they come from the same nation.". They’re not horribly recognizable, and they seem a convenient way of ignoring a country’s past. The “The New Magnolia" flag will go before voters in November for approval. My main objection to it is the attempt to sneak in Confederate colors: the red field, the white stars on blue, and the white fimbriation. I added more colors than usually go in a flag, for the colorful motif, forming some kite shapes (representing the mountains) into a sort of compass rose. Alaska’s flag is already decent—but the eight stars just don’t stand out very well. Still, I don’t think it represents the modern state very well. (There are, after all, a couple good ones. My design is simple, and takes the “Cornhusker State” nickname to its logical conclusion. I’m really not sure what Seattle’s flag is supposed to be. New Mexico has a frankly gorgeous flag—I think it’s the best in the Union. However it still has writing, and the yellow-on-white scheme makes it very hard to identify from a distance. Washington State flag redesign by Luismanuel1995. The eight wavy stripes, from left to right, are the official colors of the major islands of the state in order from west to east (Ni’ihau, Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lāna’i, Kaho’olawe, Maui, and the big island Hawai’i). North Carolina has an interesting flag, designed by a Confederate veteran after the war, to replace the flag flown during the Civil War. The redesigned flag pays homage to Alabama's historic agriculture. They’re an interesting mix of history and graphic design. Until now, Mississippi has kept its Confederate battle flag on the state flag. For my redesign, I wanted to incorporate both Colorado’s mountains, and its name, meaning “colored” or “colorful”. And the orange brings in the Dutch influence, when it was New Amersterdam. The red is for Colorado’s earth, the yellow for its minerals, the green for the plains in the east, and the blue for its waters. To this flag I’ve added a fourteenth star to the deliberately irregular constellation, representing Vermont’s position as the fourteenth state. 25. Agriculture was an integral part of Alabama and cotton in particular was a major force in their economy." New Jersey was founded by George Carteret (whose arms were white fusils on red) and John Berkeley (whose arms were white crosses pattée on red with a white chevron). I’ve done it in blue and orange: blue for the Florida waters (longest coastline among US states! Rhode Island’s flag is better than most. Arkansas’s flag, with its red field and white stars on blue lines, is another blatant attempt to sneak in Confederate symbolism. (Admittedly, Texans can be a little obnoxious about it...but that’s another issue altogether.) Montana has another boring state-seal-on-blue-field motif, but with helpful text to help you remember what state you’re in. Florida’s very name means “flowery”, so I’ve completed the design with orange blossoms, Florida’s state flower and another agricultural symbol. Tacoma’s where I live now, and the current flag is another seal on a blue field. Hawai’i’s flag is certainly interesting, and almost passes muster. (It takes some inspiration from both the Japanese flag and the Macedonian flag.) Unfortunately, a lot of flags are not well designed—especially state flags. You can't get much more English than the family crests of Lord Baltimore's Calvert and Crossland families, coats of arms which were granted to them by an English king. I’ve done it in blue and orange: blue for the Florida waters (longest coastline among US states! Satanic Temple to sue Mississippi if God is printed on redesigned state flag. But it’s a fun exercise, nevertheless. 25 redesigned New Jersey state flags. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. The makers of the seal wanted the commonwealth to have a seal that harkened back to the Roman Republic. The shape of the cap resembles an arrowhead, while the star comes from the current state flag. I really don’t like flags that incorporate a country’s outline. Look closely at the coat of arms. It’s bold and recognizable, and showcases Texas’s history. Oh look—it’s a state seal on a blue field. If the flag is already good, I won’t hesitate to say so. ), and orange for Florida’s agriculture. Thus, I’ve replaced these with the state colors of orange and white, and made the overall symbols a little larger and bolder. I approached this by putting the white cottonball shape on a black triangle: white for the cotton, but black to remember the hundreds of thousands of African Americans that Alabama enslaved. Learn more, By The green represents the state’s agriculture, and the corn represents, well, corn. It’s actually based on the coat of arms of the Washington family (as is the flag of Washington D.C.), honoring one of our Founding Fathers and a man who voluntarily chose to step down from power. Let us know in the comments box below! I’m keeping this flag the way it is. I ended by darkening the background, to help the colors really stand out. Adam redesigned a bunch of state flags as part of a fun exercise in graphic design and came up with this for Florida. It’s a total reworking of Mississippi symbolism, without any divisive Confederate idealization at all. It’s still overly complicated and not very recognizable, and the lettering has to go. My replacement keeps the orange and blue stripes for continuity. Well, they finally got rid of the horrible slavers’s flag. 1 / 125. They also represent the white winters and green summers of the state.. Michigan has a complex coat of arms that includes a deer, a bear, an eagle, a man with a rifle waving while standing on a beach, and two Latin inscriptions. And of course the dramatic masks are for the festival that makes this small town known up and down the Pacific coast. Updated Jan 17, 2019; Posted Nov 24, 2015 . Our flags should represent that. The top and bottom stripes of the flag represent the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, respectively. My variant uses the purple that’s become Minnesota’s unofficial state color (possibly due to the Vikings and/or Prince). Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Ick. While I am not Navajo myself, I have extended family that is. It can be quite hard to make out from far away. The saltire possibly harkens back to Spanish days, and possibly it’s another attempt to sneak in that old Confederate Battle Flag. It’s there taunting you, if you just squint your eyes enough! Here's my attempt to right this problem, using state nicknames as a guide. I have to confess that I find the Maryland flag ugly as sin. Referring to the current state flags, he says: "I was bothered by how discordant they are as a group, and I wasn’t surprised to learn they break just about every rule of flag design. “Simplicity,” Mississippi vexillologist Clay Moss told the commission, is the first rule of flag design. The red cross is for the state’s English origins. The best power banks deals: Anker, Maxoak and RAVPower devices at low prices, The North Face in hot water over logo design dispute, New Warner Bros logo is not what we were expecting, Premiere Pro tutorials: Master the top video editing software, Pfizer tries to inject some life into its logo (but does it succeed? It is, after all, the “Evergreen State”. I hope they come up with something good, but they’ve already decreed that whatever they choose, it will be marred by the words “In God We Trust”. Unfortunately, a lot of flags are not well designed—especially state flags. It looks too much like a sports logo. There was a problem. More than half of US state flags feature a blank field (majority blue) with some sort of detailed state seal in the center. It clashes and it’s way too busy for me. Stripes feature prominently in the redesign project, along with other U.S. icons like the eagle and Lady Liberty. I tried to keep the original color schemes intact as best as possible, occasionally having to dip into historical flags or alternates as inspiration. The former flag bore a strong resemblance to the Confederate flag… The diagonal white stripes (making a V) are for peace. The crescent and palmetto aren’t too complicated, and they can be recognized from afar. The criteria I am using are as follows: Do I think that any of these will ever get used? My first redesign for a Pennsylvania flag features a banner of the arms of William Penn, who was the state's namesake, receiving a large royal grant of land for a colony in 1661, which became one of the USA's founding 13 states. The Committee to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag joined Reeves as he signed the bill into law. As with the previous symbols, the bear represents strength and bravery, while the crescent moon is for newness and potential for growth. The eight-pointed star pattern in the center represents the sovereignty of an independent Cypriot state. So I took that and ran with it. I believe that this keeps the original ideas, but turns them into a much bolder, more modern flag. The most prominent symbol, the snow-capped peak, references Nevada's name in Spanish ("snowy," referring to the Sierra Nevada). It comes from the coat of arms of the North Carolina Senate, but it makes such an excellent flag that I had to do it here. Its simple design has historical meaning: the colors are borrowed from the Spanish flag, and the native design alludes to New Mexico’s strong native community. Please refresh the page and try again. It’s an attempt to redesign a lot of flags of the world: especially US state flags, that are so often just a state seal thrown up on a blue seal. The St. George’s Cross is of course for England, and the Carolina colony’s English origins. The octogon derives from the symbol of Nicosia, the capital, and ultimately comes from the shape of its walls. Again. The red is for valor, the blue for justice, and the white for purity. I like it. My redesign takes elements from the state nicknames “Big Sky Country” and the “Treasure State”, and also makes reference to the motto “Oro y Plata”, Spanish for “Gold and Silver”. The goal was to come up with a standard design for the South Carolina state flag, one that residents could rally around, fly from their porches or proudly display on T-shirts, mugs and hats. My redesign makes it obvious that the cross is the Spanish one, the Cross of Burgundy. I redesigned (most of) the US state flags. Since I’m an American, I have very little hope of any of these designs seeing the light of day. Missouri’s flags is one of those frustrating flags that, although it’s overcomplicated and awful, actually contains a good flag within it. Easily confused with Alabama, but made worse by the seal. Also, I restricted myself … Finally, I have reworked the colors to be the state colors of blue, green, and cranberry, making this flag very distinctive at a distance. The copper color represents the copper mined here, from whence Cyprus derives its name. It is the worst kept secret that most of the state flags of the USA are not good flags. We are fifty states who have come together to form a supernational federation. Would a more unified approach to flag design encourage a more unified politic? Instead, I went with a water theme. The flags and seals of the 50 states vary greatly in quality and style, lacking both cohesion and a semblance of stylistic standards. Back to Gallery. It’s an attempt to redesign a lot of flags of the world: especially US state flags, that are so often just a state seal thrown up on a blue seal. Do you see the bear and crescent? Blue represents the waters of the puget sound and columbia river. The flag should be relatively simple—absolutely no state seals or otherwise overly-ornate designs, and lettering will be kept to a minimum. Across the second half of the 20th century, many states redesigned their flags to omit or minimize these symbols, although several states, such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida, still have subtle references, such as the red St. Andrew's Cross (saltire). Would a more unified approach to flag design encourage a more unified politic? The beehive is taken from the current flag, but enlarged and stylized. At least the Massachusetts’ flag isn’t the state seal on a blue field: it’s the state seal on a white field. In my suggestion, the green and brown stripes are for the natural environment: green for forest, and brown for mountains. Designer Ed Mitchell gives America's state flags a more unified look. November 2019. (Thanks to my brother Steve for his input.). During the 1950s, more than 3,000 Americans mailed unsolicited designs for a 50-state flag to the White House, Congress and federal agencies. Cities usually have better flags than states, but a couple of them still need some work... Ashland is a lovely little community in southern Oregon (where I lived briefly), best known for its annual Shakespeare festival. My design takes brown and orange to represent the state’s soil and agriculture, and adds in three stylized sunflowers to represent its people, always looking toward brightness. The white between them represents peace between the peoples. Minnesota’s flag is complicated, unrecognizable, and just plain awful. “My redesign makes it obvious that the cross is the Spanish one, the Cross of Burgundy. In my design the white rose represents Yorkshire and the House of York. The topic that seems to be on the today list of all vexillologists and vexillographers is the redesign of the state flags of the United States. Long time lurker, first time poster here. This redesign of South Carolina's state flag was scrapped after state residents criticized the illustration of the palmetto tree in its center, which was compared to a toilet brush. This would be a distinctive flag, far more recognizable at a distance than what the current one is. 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