Presentation

Hello, my name is Leonardo. I have two other blogs about flags (Create/Recreate and Flag Review), and I decided to create a set of flags to the USA states. It was originally intended to be posted on Create/Recreate, but, because the size it took, I decided to post in an alternate flag. Initially, I will analyze, and create a new flag if necessary, to every American state and the District of Columbia.

If you aren't familiarized to vexillography (design of flags), here we'll see six advices. The first five are used by NAVA (North American Vexillological Association) and Flag Institute (UK), the sixth only by the Flag Institute:

1. Keep it simple: The flag should be simple enough that a child can draw it from memory.
2. Use meaningful symbolism: The flag's elements, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
3. Use two to three basic colors: Limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, black and white. Yellow and white work well on any of the other colors and vice versa.
4. No lettering or seals: Avoid the use of writing of any kind or an organisation’s badge, seal or coat of arms. It is better to use elements from an appropriate coat of arms as symbols on the flag.
5. Be distinctive or be related: Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.
6. How will it fly in the wind?: Remember, the design must be distinctive when flying on a high pole in a strong wind, and when hanging in windless conditions too. Also remember that it will almost always have ripples caused by the wind.

As I said, they're recommendations, not laws. Eventually, one of them can be ignored without compromising the result, but more than this can cause serious problems. Reading to this you can imagine problems in many state flags, can't you?

By the way, this is the precedence rule I'll use to the flags:

1. If the flag is already good, I'll use it. Many of them won't have this lucky.
2. Else, a historic good flag is the next.
3. In third case, an old or contemporary proposed flag.
4. If none of these criteria were filled, I'll come with a design by myself, being based on the same order: current flag, historic flag, old or contemporary proposed flag, state insignias.

The designs were done and more or less confirmed, so if I found time I'll be posting them.