February Workshop: Symbolism

[u/Vexy]

Previous Workshops

This topic was recommended by /u/MastaSchmitty, who won the January contest. The floor is open for discussion on how best to incorporate symbolism when designing a flag.

Specifically:

• How do you distinguish flags with strong symbols from "logos on a bedsheet?"
• How detailed should symbols generally be on flags?
• What are some of your favorite examples of symbolism in flags?

Any other questions are welcome!

[u/jabask]

I've been trying to articulate what separates a strong vexillological symbol from a logo recently, and I think a lot of it comes down to how well it interacts with the background, and how much it relies on the style it's drawn in to be truly recognizable.
Like /u/bmoxey says, a flag must have a field, and if it's an afterthought, the flag often comes across as logo-esque. My first flag in the contests, for example, took advantage of the empty space surrounding the main symbol to represent vast seas, and what lies to the north and south. It's not just a clever design on a flat background. That's a criticism that could be directed at some of my other designs, but I try to work against it.
But if I have a clever design, and I'm really excited about it, my second thought is about style, namely if it's too reliant on my particular vector skills. Is my flag merely a product of slick execution, or could I expect some random Chinese company to make a decent reproduction for their flag pins? Could a kid make a reasonable drawing of it to hang in a classroom window? This often leads to simplification, but that's not necessarily what I take it to mean. I see it more like the heraldic practice of blazoning: Your description should contain the symbolism you need, and not rely on the picture on the flag. Aesthetics are important, obviously, but you should be able to draw it in any style and not lose much.

[u/Kelruss → u/jabask]

Could a kid make a reasonable drawing of it to hang in a classroom window? This often leads to simplification, but that's not necessarily what I take it to mean.

I've thought a bit about that, and I always think is that it's a matter of key details. "Can a child draw it from memory?" is a simpler way of asking "what are the most important parts of the flag that make it identifiable?" It doesn't matter if a child can't remember how many stripes or stars are on the American flag, or if they can't get the proportion of the canton correct, as long as they remember that the US flag is the one with a lot of stars, and a smaller number of stripes. Another way to ask the question might be "at distance, could you reasonably expect a viewer to recall who/what/where the flag represents?"

[u/jabask → u/Kelruss]

Well said. For another relevant example, your flair of New England features a fir, and a tree is also on the flag of Lebanon. Now, I've never been a fan of any of the popular versions of those charges, because I think they're poorly illustrated. But it doesn't matter, because I can make a new version, and it's still the same flag.

[u/Kelruss → u/jabask]

I think they're poorly illustrated

Preaching to the choir.

[u/Alphonsekun → u/jabask]

I wish I had gold to give. That is precisely the kind of thought I think should go in the making of a flag.

[u/[deleted] → u/jabask]

Your description should contain the symbolism you need

This is really good to remember