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Tag: flag redesign

Published 2023-01-15

A Flag for Utah

Utah recently introduced a proposed new flag. The legislature still has to adopt the new design. I did not participate in the design contest, though below are two designs I created 10 years ago.

A custom-designed Utah state flag. The beehive is a classic symbol for Utah, representing industry. The red arch harkens to the features of southern Utah. The white represents the famous snow. The blue symbolizes the Great Salt Lake. The green represents the several national forests in the state. The forty-five stars remind us that Utah was admitted as the forty-fifth state.
A custom-designed Utah state flag. The beehive is a classic symbol for Utah, representing industry. The blue symbolizes the mountains and Great Salt Lake of norther Utah. The red harkens to the features of southern Utah. The forty-five stars represent Utah’s admission as the forty-fifth state.
Published 2019-10-01

Oregon Vexillology

Oregon’s flag is unique in that it has a different design on the front than on the reverse. The front is a typical state flag featuring the state seal and the year Oregon was accepted into the Union.

Front side of the current Oregon flag.

The reverse features a beaver facing the hoist. This side actually exhibits some degree of good vexillological design for the following reasons:

  • The elements would make sense as a mirror image, so that it doesn’t matter which side of the flag you observed, it would be readily understood.
  • The elements are large and can be easily seen from distance.
  • Few colors are used.
Reverse side of the current Oregon flag.

Consider the following potential redesigns. Each calls upon elements of the current flag, whether they be color or symbol.

Alternate design for the flag of Oregon.
© 2013 John Schneider. All rights reserved.

Another alternate design for the flag of Oregon.
© 2013 John Schneider. All rights reserved.