United Plates of America (CANADA FINALE!)

[Halian]

On 3/22/2022 at 7:09 PM, TheGiantsFan said:

FLORIDA

 

(snip)

I love the Florida plate! I should point out, however, that Dade County residents haven't had the option of county name plates since 1994, due IIRC to a rash of tourist killings that year (rental cars were mostly registered in Dade County). Besides, it's not even the most populous city in the state, so you should put Duval County (Jacksonville) instead.

[TheGiantsFan]

On 6/24/2022 at 8:25 AM, GriffinM6 said:

Great job keeping the same general idea for SC while improving on what they already have. Love Puerto Rico as well. The bright blue looks great. 

 

Thank you very much!

 

It was so tempting to go the easy route with South Carolina and give its plate the 2009 Indiana plate treatment, but I'm glad you like how the nighttime scene ended up!

 

On 6/24/2022 at 3:27 PM, Halian_ said:

I love the Florida plate! I should point out, however, that Dade County residents haven't had the option of county name plates since 1994, due IIRC to a rash of tourist killings that year (rental cars were mostly registered in Dade County). Besides, it's not even the most populous city in the state, so you should put Duval County (Jacksonville) instead.

 

Glad you like Florida, and welcome to the forums!

 

I do remember hearing about the Miami-Dade county sticker situation once! I totally understand your point, but I've been going with the most populous county for any state with county-based stickers or numbering just for simplicity's sake. If it were to be implemented in real life, I'm sure Miami-Dade stickers wouldn't exist! 

 

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SOUTH DAKOTA

 

 

Every South Dakota license plate since 1952 has had an illustration of Mount Rushmore. To differentiate my redesign, I decided to add references to the native Sioux tribes: the background is a blue gradient stylized like a Sioux star quilt, and the Sioux name for the state is listed at the bottom. The shades of blue are inspired by the state flag, and the star dividers from 1976 to 1986 make a return.

 

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Ten more jurisdictions left!

Edited June 29, 2022 by TheGiantsFan
Added an alternate Sitting Bull Monument plate

[Halian]

7 hours ago, TheGiantsFan said:

Glad you like Florida, and welcome to the forums!

This is my second account; I can no longer access my first one. The first one poked its head into the original ABL's stadium thread, among other places, leading to the Lafarge & Samara Forum.

[TheGiantsFan]

On 6/25/2022 at 6:33 AM, Halian_ said:

This is my second account; I can no longer access my first one. The first one poked its head into the original ABL's stadium thread, among other places, leading to the Lafarge & Samara Forum.

 

Ahh, I see! Good to see you again after all these years!

 

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TENNESSEE

 

 

ORIGINAL DESIGN WITH BLUE SIDE BARS:

Spoiler

 

My Tennessee redesign plays off the state’s “Soundtrack of America” tourism slogan with a design that honors Tennessee’s contributions to country and blues music.A country music-inspired wordmark is placed above an abstracted map of Tennessee. Inspired by the horizontal lines in posters created by Nashville’s legendary Hatch Show Print, horizontal sheet music lines form the background of the license plate. The colors and tri-star roundel from the state flag make an appearance.

Edited June 29, 2022 by TheGiantsFan
Tweaked the slogan and changed the side bars from blue to gray

[jzn110]

Tennessee looks awesome, but I think I would shift the "Soundtrack of America" slogan so that it appears centered in the white space between the "T" and the mount hole - or maybe track out the lettering so it stretches across that space - because it feels a little off-balance with the way you have it set now, even though it's technically on-center.

[stumpygremlin]

South Carolina, the stars get lost. I didn't see them at all until I zoomed in, and wouldn't have known they were there if you didn't point them out. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it might not be the worst idea to lighten them up a bit?

[TheGiantsFan]

On 6/27/2022 at 5:59 PM, jzn110 said:

Tennessee looks awesome, but I think I would shift the "Soundtrack of America" slogan so that it appears centered in the white space between the "T" and the mount hole - or maybe track out the lettering so it stretches across that space - because it feels a little off-balance with the way you have it set now, even though it's technically on-center.

 

Y'know, you're totally right! A revised Tennessee license plate can be found later on in this post, and thanks for the feedback!

 

21 hours ago, stumpygremlin said:

South Carolina, the stars get lost. I didn't see them at all until I zoomed in, and wouldn't have known they were there if you didn't point them out. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but it might not be the worst idea to lighten them up a bit?

 

That was actually intentional! I didn't want the stars to clash with the rest of the design, so I made sure to make them subtle. I did lighten them up just slightly, though:

 

Spoiler

 

---

 

Before I proceed with Texas, here are some more edits to recent plates!

 

A friend of mine suggested that I make an alternate South Dakota plate that features the Sitting Bull Monument instead of Mount Rushmore, so here are the two South Dakota plates:

 

Spoiler

 

As for Tennessee, I wasn't fully satisfied with the version that I put out.  So in addition to "Soundtrack of America" tweaks suggested by @jzn110, I also changed the vertical blue bars at each end of the "sheet music" to light gray so that there's a little more breathing room in the design:

 

Spoiler

 

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TEXAS

 

 

For a place with as much state pride as Texas, I wanted to go for a simple and bold design based on the Texas flag. The flag striping pattern is based on one of the finalists for Texas’ 2009 license plate redesign, and the slab serif font is reminiscent of the wordmarks that the Texas Rangers used from 1972 to 1993.

[TheGiantsFan]

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

 

 

My redesigned license plate for the U.S. Virgin Islands is a return to the yellow “Our Islands, Our Home” license plates last used from 2000 to 2005 and retains the map of the territorial islands that have been seen since 1994. The bottom of the plate references the many coral reefs seen in the territory, and the colors are taken from the official madras design for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[TheGiantsFan]

UTAH

 

Here's the direction I think the Utah Jazz should have taken with their black/yellow redesign

 

 

The beehive is an important symbol for Utah, so my license plate redesigns are based around a hexagonal honeycomb theme. The beehive seen on state highway shields and used on license plates from 1975 to 1978 returns as the serial divider. Replacing the Delicate Arch optional plate is a honeycomb representing the state’s two distinct landscapes: the snowy peaks of northern Utah and the red rocks of southern Utah. At the bottom is a quote that is attributed to Brigham Young’s first sighting of the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

[tBBP]

On 6/25/2022 at 12:42 AM, TheGiantsFan said:

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

 

 

Every South Dakota license plate since 1952 has had an illustration of Mount Rushmore. To differentiate my redesign, I decided to add references to the native Sioux tribes: the background is a blue gradient stylized like a Sioux star quilt, and the Sioux name for the state is listed at the bottom. The shades of blue are inspired by the state flag, and the star dividers from 1976 to 1986 make a return.

 

Much gooder...much much gooder.

 

South Dakota resident here (and I still sometimes wonder how that happened, lol), but I'm glad you opted for an alternate version of the plate with Chief Sitting Bull depicted in the Black Hills mosaic--and I'm glad you reduced the size of the Rushmore imagery in the plate. From the state government's perspective, it definitely is a source of state pride--and, aside from the annual Sturgis biker rallies, pretty much the only thing anyone outside the state knows South Dakota for--but the monument itself is mired in much controversy. Most folks on East River are completely unaware--I myself never knew until I moved up here and, on account of becoming acquainted with a good many of the Native people up here (including dating a Native woman for a short bit), I decided to investigate it for myself--but it may be just a little bit more known on West River by those who actually care.

 

This really ain't the place to go too deep, so I'll just hit the highlights: The Black Hills themselves are sacred lands in the eyes of the Lakota nations, which after being effectively stolen from them by the U.S. government on account of gold being discovered in them, then became the site of what's now known as Mount Rushmore. Here's where things get twisted: the four faces on that mountainside--Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson) were originally not supposed to be there; the site was originally intended to be a testament to westward expansion and was supposed to have had the faces of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sacagawea, and Chiefs Red Cloud and Crazy Horse. However, all that changed on account of one man: Gutzon Borglum, the man commissioned to design and oversee the project. He unilaterally chose to carve the faces of those four aforementioned presidents into that mountainside, "reasoning" that they would have more widespread appeal than the aforementioned six. The rest, as we know, is history. So, while the site is an amazing feat of human engineering in its own right, imagine it from the Lakota perspective: looking up there at the faces of the men who stole your land from you. (For that reason, my license plates are a different version that doesn't feature the Rushmore motif.)

 

With all that said...if you were to go back and do a version had had the originally intended faces in that motif, that might well be something to behold. 

 

On a far wider and much more positive note, this series ranks right up at the top of all the concept design series I've seen in the fifteen or so years I've been a part of this site. Absolutely top-notch work.

 

 

[TheGiantsFan]

On 7/4/2022 at 9:31 AM, tBBP said:

Much gooder...much much gooder.

 

South Dakota resident here (and I still sometimes wonder how that happened, lol), but I'm glad you opted for an alternate version of the plate with Chief Sitting Bull depicted in the Black Hills mosaic--and I'm glad you reduced the size of the Rushmore imagery in the plate. From the state government's perspective, it definitely is a source of state pride--and, aside from the annual Sturgis biker rallies, pretty much the only thing anyone outside the state knows South Dakota for--but the monument itself is mired in much controversy. Most folks on East River are completely unaware--I myself never knew until I moved up here and, on account of becoming acquainted with a good many of the Native people up here (including dating a Native woman for a short bit), I decided to investigate it for myself--but it may be just a little bit more known on West River by those who actually care.

 

This really ain't the place to go too deep, so I'll just hit the highlights: The Black Hills themselves are sacred lands in the eyes of the Lakota nations, which after being effectively stolen from them by the U.S. government on account of gold being discovered in them, then became the site of what's now known as Mount Rushmore. Here's where things get twisted: the four faces on that mountainside--Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson) were originally not supposed to be there; the site was originally intended to be a testament to westward expansion and was supposed to have had the faces of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sacagawea, and Chiefs Red Cloud and Crazy Horse. However, all that changed on account of one man: Gutzon Borglum, the man commissioned to design and oversee the project. He unilaterally chose to carve the faces of those four aforementioned presidents into that mountainside, "reasoning" that they would have more widespread appeal than the aforementioned six. The rest, as we know, is history. So, while the site is an amazing feat of human engineering in its own right, imagine it from the Lakota perspective: looking up there at the faces of the men who stole your land from you. (For that reason, my license plates are a different version that doesn't feature the Rushmore motif.)

 

With all that said...if you were to go back and do a version had had the originally intended faces in that motif, that might well be something to behold. 

 

On a far wider and much more positive note, this series ranks right up at the top of all the concept design series I've seen in the fifteen or so years I've been a part of this site. Absolutely top-notch work.

 

Thank you so much for your kind and insightful words! I'm glad you've really enjoyed the series, and that really means a lot to me

 

I've always known that Mount Rushmore was controversially sculpted on Native land, but I never knew about the non-presidential proposal for Mount Rushmore! I really wish I could recreate a president-less Mount Rushmore for you, but it doesn't look like there were even prototype sculptures built without the presidents; all I was able to find was this illustration unfortunately 

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VERMONT

 

 

Vermont’s timeless green license plates are updated with a forest gradient reminiscent of the state’s namesake Green Mountains. The thirteen stars from the Green Mountain Boys flag make its license plate debut in the lower-left corner of the plate.

 

At the request of the Vermont DMV themselves (the only time so far that a DMV account actually responded to a plate concept!), I changed the treescape from evergreens to sugar maple trees

[TheGiantsFan]

VIRGINIA

 

 

Virginia has a unique history of black license plates, so I decided to combine that history with the state’s current tourism campaign with its unique black, white, and red color scheme. The typography for the state name is inspired by the optional George Washington Bicentennial plates and the shape of the black “box” is inspired by the colonial architecture seen in Mt. Vernon and Monticello.

[Halian]

Doubleplusgood as usual

 

BTW, I was able to get my original account back.

[TenaciousG]

I’m so excited for Washington. Our department of licensing is the worst - over the last several years, they

 

1. Got rid of the cool font (same one as Oregon) and replaced it with some boring Arial type font

 

2. Stop raised lettering 6 digit plates; for 7 digit illegible printed letters that can only be seen if you’re directly behind the other car

 

3. Forced people to change their plate numbers every few years unless you pay more in an obvious cash grab

And all this from the Evergreen State, which continues to not have a single speck of green on our plate. And it is a little easier to understand the DOL’s need to make people pay when we have massive infrastructure needs but live in a state that claims to be liberal but in reality is a tax haven for the ultra-wealthy.

 

[TheGiantsFan]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:35 PM, Halian said:

Doubleplusgood as usual

 

BTW, I was able to get my original account back.

 

Thanks so much!

 

On 7/7/2022 at 9:02 PM, TenaciousG said:

I’m so excited for Washington. Our department of licensing is the worst - over the last several years, they

 

1. Got rid of the cool font (same one as Oregon) and replaced it with some boring Arial type font

 

2. Stop raised lettering 6 digit plates; for 7 digit illegible printed letters that can only be seen if you’re directly behind the other car

 

3. Forced people to change their plate numbers every few years unless you pay more in an obvious cash grab

And all this from the Evergreen State, which continues to not have a single speck of green on our plate. And it is a little easier to understand the DOL’s need to make people pay when we have massive infrastructure needs but live in a state that claims to be liberal but in reality is a tax haven for the ultra-wealthy.

 

I definitely agree with you there, and I much prefer the original version of the Rainier plates over the current ones. Lucky for you, I also thought it was weird that the Evergreen State doesn't have any green on its plates...

 

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WASHINGTON

 

 

My Washington license plate redesign is based on the landscapes and the indigenous Salish art (which also inspired the region's sports identities) found in the Pacific Northwest. Hidden in the illustration is the Space Needle, a whale, and a map of the state. A script state name is a reference to a prototype Washington license plate from the 1990s and the placeholder logo for Seattle’s NHL team.

[Seadragon76]

Not bad for Washington... I caught the Space Needle and the whale, but the map of the state eludes me.

[jzn110]

11 minutes ago, Seadragon76 said:

Not bad for Washington... I caught the Space Needle and the whale, but the map of the state eludes me.

I think it's in the center of the salish art "cell" just to the right of the whale. The blue shape has a little notch out of the top right, like an abstract shape of the state.

[GriffinM6]

That Washington plate has got to be top 5 in the series so far for me. The intricate details really do a great job of representing the state. 

[tBBP]

On 7/9/2022 at 10:16 PM, TheGiantsFan said:

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

I definitely agree with you there, and I much prefer the original version of the Rainier plates over the current ones. Lucky for you, I also thought it was weird that the Evergreen State doesn't have any green on its plates...

 

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WASHINGTON

 

 

My Washington license plate redesign is based on the landscapes and the indigenous Salish art (which also inspired the region's sports identities) found in the Pacific Northwest. Hidden in the illustration is the Space Needle, a whale, and a map of the state. A script state name is a reference to a prototype Washington license plate from the 1990s and the placeholder logo for Seattle’s NHL team.

 

Definitely one of your best, probably THE best thus far. Side note: this and @sparkychewbarky's Battle of Seattle concept thread have to rank among the best concept threads the Creamery has ever known. 

 

Now, having said that...the way you managed to weave *almost* 300 lateral miles of landscape into a 12" × 6" piece of stamped aluminum is just genius, the hidden symbols and overall art style even more so. That said, and I only add this because I done been to and through Washington state so many times over the past three years: this might not be too well known to those who ain't been out there, much much if not most of eastern Washington is virtually treeless open prairie. (At least until you get down into Walla Walla aka wine country.) 

 

That though is a hair-splitting nitpick...only people in/of eastern Washington may raise it--or a certain former trucker around here who's seen it with his own two eyes--but at a glance, yeah, your plate design SCREAMS Washington. No mistaking that at all.

[TheGiantsFan]

On 7/10/2022 at 8:15 PM, jzn110 said:

On 7/10/2022 at 8:03 PM, Seadragon76 said:

Not bad for Washington... I caught the Space Needle and the whale, but the map of the state eludes me.

 

I think it's in the center of the salish art "cell" just to the right of the whale. The blue shape has a little notch out of the top right, like an abstract shape of the state.

 

That is correct! An abstract map of Washington can be found to the right of the whale

 

On 7/11/2022 at 7:11 AM, GriffinM6 said:

That Washington plate has got to be top 5 in the series so far for me. The intricate details really do a great job of representing the state. 

 

Thank you very much! It took me a little longer so I can get the details just right, and I'm glad it paid off!

 

On 7/11/2022 at 8:14 AM, tBBP said:

Definitely one of your best, probably THE best thus far. Side note: this and @sparkychewbarky's Battle of Seattle concept thread have to rank among the best concept threads the Creamery has ever known. 

 

Now, having said that...the way you managed to weave *almost* 300 lateral miles of landscape into a 12" × 6" piece of stamped aluminum is just genius, the hidden symbols and overall art style even more so. That said, and I only add this because I done been to and through Washington state so many times over the past three years: this might not be too well known to those who ain't been out there, much much if not most of eastern Washington is virtually treeless open prairie. (At least until you get down into Walla Walla aka wine country.) 

 

That though is a hair-splitting nitpick...only people in/of eastern Washington may raise it--or a certain former trucker around here who's seen it with his own two eyes--but at a glance, yeah, your plate design SCREAMS Washington. No mistaking that at all.

 

Thank you so much, I'm happy you enjoyed Washington!

 

Funny you mention sparky's Battle of Seattle thread; I actually skimmed through that entire thread to gain some Salish design inspiration for my license plate!

 

I did try to keep eastern Washington in mind for the design but honestly, I think the mountains would help represent them in this design. I'm glad you think it represents the rest of the state very well, though

 

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WEST VIRGINIA

 

 

The main focal point of my West Virginia license plate is the New River Gorge Bridge and is depicted like the state's optional "Scenic" license plate. The mountainous landscape of the state is represented by a smoky sunrise over the Appalachians. The "Almost Heaven" tagline above the state name is a reference* to "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, which cemented West Virginia into music history.

 

*Referencing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was inevitable with this one 

 

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Two more states left!