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Wisconsin State Flag Redesign (UPDATED 8/27/2014)


illwauk

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I've never really cared for the flag of my home state. I'm not even gonna bother posting a picture because it's one of the many generic "state seal on navy blue" flags that everyone can picture in their head. But it never bothered me that much until I was at a poetry slam last year that featured a team from Albuquerque. Their cheering section was flying New Mexico's distinctive flag and dare I say, I got a lil jealous lol. So with that in mind, I came up with my own design for a Wisconsin flag.

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The general design of the flag represents the isthmus that the Wisconsin capitol sits on. It also appears to move "forward" (the state motto). The blue is for the state's lakes and rivers in general, but more specifically, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, as Wisconsin is one of only three states that's bordered by more than one of the Great Lakes. The forest green is (obviously) for the state's forested areas in the northwoods. It can stand for the farm fields as well. The design in centered on the shape of the Wisconsin state highway signs, one of the few symbols in Wisconsin and that's recognized by almost everyone in the state. The 5 six-pointed stars represent the major industries in Wisconsin: manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, health care and transportation. The 30 points on the stars represent Wisconsin's entry as the 30th state in the union.

I set out to create something that focused on things that are universally (or as close to it as possible) enjoyed by Wisconsin residents rather than focus on the divisive stereotypes of our state. C&C appreciated as usual.

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I think I'd go for a blue that's more, well, blue. This is a bit tealish, at least on my monitor.

The shield being on the sash looks a little strange to me. What about moving the shield into the upper left corner? Also, is there a better way to arrange the stars within the shield, or even outside/around it?

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POTD 2013-08-22

On 7/14/2012 at 2:20 AM, tajmccall said:

When it comes to style, ya'll really should listen to Kev.

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First off, I agree that the Wisconsin state flag ugly and fairly interchangeable with most other US state flags. It's pretty obvious that a flag is ineffective if you have to add the state name in huge letters to distinguish your banner.

That said, I'm not feeling this. The teal/green colors and the highway sign doesn't make me think Wisconsin. I do find the isthmus reference clever, but seems more suited for a flag for the city of Madison. I'm not sure if the stars orientation works. I like that this takes a fresh approach to state flag design, but I believe a better choice of elements could be made.

I would like a mix of modern symbolism with a tie to Wisconsin's past. For example, you could include a fleur de lis for a tie to its French past. Maybe utilize modernized versions of elements from the current seal (anchor, axe pick, etc). The current seal contains too many elements for effective use on a flag, but they at least provide some inspiration to tie a new design to what it stands for.

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This is a smartly designed flag. The symbolism is all there and is definitely sound. Congrats on working so much meaning into the design without it being too cluttered.

As others have said, I'd go with bolder colors, especially for the blue.

 

 

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Looks like efforts have been going on since 1989 to redesign Minnesota's flag.

mnflag-graphic1.gif

I think I might well have to buy one of those.

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POTD 2013-08-22

On 7/14/2012 at 2:20 AM, tajmccall said:

When it comes to style, ya'll really should listen to Kev.

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I guess its a nice enough flag, but I would never have identified that as the wisconsin state flag, even having lived there for most of my life. There is a lot of symbolism there, and I wouldn't have caught a single piece of it.

I'm not really sure what the state trunk highway marker has to do with anything other than as a route marker.

30 points, would not have connected that with 30th state

5 major industries? Nope.

2 Great lakes, didn't catch that.

Forests, I actually figured that one out.

I think there are more things out there that define Wisconsin than its industries. That stuff changes in time, the flag should have a more timeless quality IMO.

Wisconsin is often touted as "God's Country" why not look a little deeper into why that is said, and take it from there.

Go spend 10 minutes in central iowa, and you'll quickly appreciate the little things that make Wisconsin a beautiful place to visit. Things like the vast number of rivers, streams, creeks, ponds, and lakes (and the fishing that is associated), the vast rolling hills, forests of trees, small family farms, wildlife galore. While your flag covers all of those things, its made them into 2 trianges and a line.

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It looks great. It will be proudly saluted by Dis Wisconson Mayn.

http://i.imgur.com/4ahMZxD.png

koizim said:
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While it's a decent design, I'm of the school of thought: unless it still has the stars and bars as part of the flag...it doesn't need a redesign.

I think most, if not all of the flags that simply have the state seal in the middle could use a redesign.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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While it's a decent design, I'm of the school of thought: unless it still has the stars and bars as part of the flag...it doesn't need a redesign.

I think most, if not all of the flags that simply have the state seal in the middle could use a redesign.

Most of said flags have a long history to them. And the previous argument of just having your name written across the flag, well while I agree, still some tend to be rather iconic.

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While it's a decent design, I'm of the school of thought: unless it still has the stars and bars as part of the flag...it doesn't need a redesign.

I think most, if not all of the flags that simply have the state seal in the middle could use a redesign.

Most of said flags have a long history to them. And the previous argument of just having your name written across the flag, well while I agree, still some tend to be rather iconic.

History != good design. Burn them and let's start over.

"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

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Thank you to everyone that gave their 1/50th of a dollar. Right now, I'm deciding if I should tweak my current design or blow it up and start from scratch.

To answer some of the criticisms, I'm trying to give Wisconsin a flag that falls more within the North American Vexillological Association guidelines. The current flag violates nearly every one of them.

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?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 of any kind or an organization?s seal.

5. Be Distinctive or Be Related: avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.

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I definitely behind you on changing the state flag. There are 30 states that have almost identical flags, without "Wisconsin" and "1848" I would have no idea which one was ours.

Your first flag is certainly different but it just doesn't click with me, or the state. I did recognize the highway sign immediately but the rest (minus the forest green) is kind of a stretch.

Something that has been jumping out at me since i read this thread was "Forward". Do something with the forward statue as seen here. An outline of the statue incorporating your idea with being between Superior and Michigan i think could turn out very very well. wheat or some kind of corn inclusion would be a great reflection on our agricultural importance but that will be tricky to pull off without making it look cheesy.

Also a nod to German heritage couldn't hurt (almost 75% of Wisconsin citizens have German descent). I'm thinking Bavarian flag....? just a thought, good luck.

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I know one thing, as far as a flag we could claim as our own, this one is pretty damn good. cus yeh, the current one, I wouldn't shed any tears over it if it were retired. i figure we may as well have one people would actually wanna wave. hell, it gave me an idea.

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