The Rules of Good Flag Design

Vexillology, the study of flags, has developed clear principles about what makes a flag effective. The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) established five fundamental rules that every good design should follow.

1. Keep It Simple

A flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory. The most iconic designs are extremely simple yet immediately recognizable.

Good examples:

Japan

Switzerland

Bangladesh

Bad examples: Many US state flags that put complex seals on blue backgrounds.

Montana

Minnesota

Kansas

2. Use Meaningful Symbolism

Colors and symbols should relate to what they represent.

Israel

Pakistan

Brazil

3. Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors

Limit the palette to colors that contrast well.

Germany

France

Italy

Notable exception: South Africa uses six colors but remains distinctive.

South Africa

4. No Lettering or Seals

Flags should be recognizable from a distance and in motion.

California

Saudi Arabia

5. Be Distinctive or Related

A flag should be unique or deliberately related to others.

Distinctive flags:

Nepal

Canada

Kenya

Nordic Cross family:

Denmark

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Iceland

Bad example: Chad and Romania are nearly identical.

Chad

vs

Romania

The Redesign Movement

Several states have redesigned their flags following these principles:

Mississippi (2021)