Branding for Communities: Flags

“Branding for Communities: Flags” is the latest posting in the Branding for Communities series. Understanding the need for the development and implementation of a brand is important for every community. Check out the first post in this series, “Why Branding“, for a refresher as to the importance of branding to your community.

US Flag Backlit, Jnn13, WikiMedia, CC-BY-SA 3.0

Flags can be very polarizing pieces of fabric. There are emotional linkages to the entity that they represent. Flags instill pride in those who’ve attended that college, lived in that state, or fought for the country that each flag represents. On the flip side, those same flags can incite rage in their rivals as well.

There’s even a group of flag enthusiasts. Yes, there are people who are so intrigued by the history, symbolism, and usage of flags that they’ve formed an organization. The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) is this organization. Though I’m not a member of the organization, there’s actually some intriguing stories behind many of the flags in use around the world.

You Don’t Want to be on this List

Even the design of flags can be quite polarizing. NAVA has anointed the Pocatello, ID flag as the worst-designed flag in America. This designation on NAVA’s naughty list drew so much attention that the community conducted a well-publicized effort to replace it.

In his TED talk below, well-known podcaster Roman Mars discusses flag design at length. Both the good and the bad. But more importantly to this discussion, he discusses the importance of good flag design to a community.

Principles of Good Design

As Roman Mars discusses in the video, NAVA has created five simple principles to good flag design:

1. Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory…
2. Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes…
3. 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…
4. No Lettering or Seals. Never use writing on any kind or an organization’s seal…
5. Be Distinctive or Be Related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections…

NAVA’s publication Good Flag, Bad Flag goes into detail on each of these principles.

Needless to say just taking your city’s seal and sticking it on a flag is not a good idea. Also, if you are going through a rebranding, don’t just figure you can put your new logo on some fabric and call it done. A good amount of thought needs to go into the design of the flag.

When considering changing your flag to represent your new branding, think long and hard. This is a symbol of your community that will be around for quite a while. Possibly multiple generations. People will need to be able to just glance at it and know immediately where they are.