A Vexillogical Treatise on the Design of Cloth Based Representations of Sovereign Entities

[CaesarGorandius]

A Vexillogical Treatise on the Design of Cloth Based Representations of Sovereign Entities

Introduction:

          When choosing a flag to represent one's nation or alliance, it is necessary to follow certain specific guidelines which are inherent to sensible design choices.  Vexillology is an exacting science which strives to provide a pleasing representation of sovereignties.  However there are many who have crafted national flags without properly understanding vexillological design.  In order for a flag to successfully represent its sovereignty it must, without question, hold fast to true vexillological ideology.  An effective ensign must have an appropriate mix of hues which are not excessive.  A flag should retain an element of simplicity which does not distract it's viewer from it's true purpose - representing a nation or alliance.  Flags should represent a consistency with the nation or alliance they represent; they should not evoke images or symbolize ideas contrary to its nation.   Lastly, a nation's flag should evoke a certain sense of pride and creativity from it's vexillographer and not simply appear to be a mishmash of shapes and images which fit inside a box.  It is my intention in developing this treatise to create a simple guideline for any future nation or alliance of nations to create a flag that not only uniquely suits the entity in question, but does so in a matter which does not offend the senses.  As such I will be setting out these guidelines and providing appropriate examples where these guidelines are followed well and where they miss the mark.

Article I:

Section 1:

         Before an aspiring vexillographer even begins to consider how to design a banner to represent a nation or an alliance, it is necessary to determine how to appropriately divide the field, or the primary backdrop of the flag.  There are several well-known ways in which the field can be divided and these ways can be mixed in a variety of manners to create a unique pattern for a representative nation.  A Canton is commonly used in flags, most notably flags of the United States of America and those of former British Colonies.  Other flags use stripes to divide the field into multiple segments horizontally, bars which do so vertically or combine them to form various crosses.  Others, like Brazil, have a Lozenge which separates a portion of the flag from its field in which an emblem, coat of arms, or charge is added to the flag.  This is by no means an exhaustive means by which flags can be designed, but are some basic elements to dividing the field should any vexillographer choose to do so.

Section 2:

         Now that it has been established that one can divide a field into distinct areas, it is necessary to establish precisely which methods of dividing said field are appropriate.  Should the vexillographer not wish to divide the field, it is most appropriate that it remain a solid colour.  However some flags exist which do not neatly divide the field, and yet have images placed on the field which potentially break this principle of vexillological design.  Figure 1 is the flag belonging to the Alliance: The World's Task Forces.

Fig. 1

 

In the above example, the primary field is a shade of grey/white (more on this in Article II), but has a pattern resembling a mercator projection of Orbis.  With no real defined zones in the field of the flag, it becomes a mishmash of shapes which are not conducive to a pleasing field design.  The Knights Radiant, on the other hand, also retains an irregular shape within the field, but it is neither overshadowed by another element nor does it use such a vast portion of space as the continents. See Figure 2 below.

Fig. 2

 

Section 3:

         Once the use of shapes to divide the field has been established, it then becomes necessary to appropriately place the primary unique symbol within the field itself.  While some flags do not need such a symbol as the design and colours of the elements dividing the field may be unique enough, others are served by incorporating a symbol, coat of arms, or charge to further distinguish the entity it represents.  The above figures are once again excellent examples of how this can be done.  While The World's Task Forces have a unique emblem which certainly goes a great distance to represent who it represents, The Knights Radiant make much more effective use of the space by not allowing the background to distract from the primary focus of its emblem.

Article II:

Section 1:

         Prior to considerations of complex designs and symbolism, it is necessary to decide on an appropriate mix of colours to represent a sovereign entity.  An appropriate flag does not consist of an excess of colours - generally flags should use 2-3 colours in establishing a proper colour scheme.  While there are exceptions to this rule in the name of symbolism (ie: the Pride Flag) they typically represent ideological movements or political organizations and not entities ruled by governments such as nations and alliances.  Exclusivity of white and black should be avoided.  While use of either or both is permissible - the primary colour should lie somewhere within the visible light spectrum.  Figure 3 shows an example where the Field of the flag is primarily gray. 

Fig. 3

 
Such a color would indicate to a vexillologist that the nation it represents is either dull or dying.  The Above figure, representing the World's Task Forces, is primarily gray, yellow, and green, with the field primarily being various shades of gray.  Gray is often used to symbolise dust and ages past.  Figure 4 represents a much more appropriate colour for a flag, red.

Fig. 4

 

Red, like the color of the field in Rose's flag above, has been used for ages to represent a great many positive attributes throughout history.  Most notably, in contrast to the World's Task Forces' depiction of morbidity, red has been used to represent life - coming from the color of blood which many ancient cultures viewed as the source of life.

Section 2:

          Choosing a good complimentary colour is equally as important as ensuring the primary colour occupying the field is appropriate.  Firstly, the two colours must be easily distinguished from each other.  Figure 3 above is a great example of how the field colour, and the colour of the secondary zones (to the extent to which they exist) are not complementary enough.  While they distinguish themselves well enough, they are simply variations of the same hue.  With the darker gray continents and the lighter portions where Orbis' oceans would exist.  Rose, on the other hand, has chosen two colours which are far more complimentary.   The red and the gold stand out one is clearly the secondary of the other.  Another example of good complimentary colouring is the flag of Guardian, which uses white to great effect, an element which is often used to symbolize purity as in Figure 5 below.

Fig. 5

 

Section 3:

          Lastly, should the designer of a flag make use of a coat of arms or a specific emblem, the colour scheme of said design should be consistent with the colours of the field, canton, lozenge, et cetera.  Returning to The World's Task Forces' flag, the emblem seems to operate on a completely different colour scheme from the field.  This indicates an almost incomprehensible combination of two different designs as if a committee took elements of other flags and put them together because they could not decide on which one to use.  Figure 6, The Knights Radiant flag from article 1 is an exception to this however.

Fig. 6

 

The Knights Radiant's flag uses the central emblem to establish it's secondary colour in a way that is complementary to the primary field colour.  Similarly, Rose's flag make's use of it's secondary colour, gold, to create the emblem at its center to further distinguish itself from other similar ensigns.   Guardian, seen above in figure 5, uses an outline and a darker hue of its primary field colour to make its coat of arms stand out from the background, while at the same time preserving the minimal colour palette.  The World's Task Forces fail to either establish a colour scheme with its emblem or compliment the field by using a new set of colours which in no way compliment the monochromatic elements within the field.

Article III:

Section 1:

          Mottos are an important element to many flags.  While most nations and alliances can do without a motto, for some it is an important part of their vexillological identity.  However, when done inappropriately it can adversely affect how a flag represents a political entity.  Figure 7 is once again the flag of the World's Task Forces.

Fig. 7

 
The above flag once again fails to use a motto to full potential.  Simply stating "We are at war," in such a colloquial way indicates that The World's Task Forces are currently engaged in conflict and that this flag is simply a military flag and not the primary flag of said alliance.  It is clear that the World's Task Forces' are (poorly) attempting to convey a pride in their ability to wage war, but much like those same conflicts, they fall short.

Section 2:

          The final point of vexillology I wish to discuss is the simplicity in flag design.  This design guideline.  This does not mean that a flag's design cannot be intricate.  On the contrary, both Rose and Guardian have very intricate emblems, but the presentation is what evokes that simplicity.  Same applies to The Knights Radiant flag.  This is probably where the biggest pitfall occurs within the vexillological analysis of the The World's Task Forces' flag.  It is simply too busy.  In the three examples above - the emblem is either one colour in opposition to the field or it uses a mix of complimentary colours to integrate the design into the flag without ruining the simplicity.  The World's Task Forces vexillographer simply slapped a 15 year old emoji on top of a monochromatic mercator projection of orbis.  It's a mishmash of shapes which fit into a box.  A box which is as well thought out as Bethesda Game studios' quality assurance process.

Conclusion:

Now that appropriate guidelines have been established to convey how to effectively design a flag to represent a political entity, let us apply our new vexillological knowledge to improving the design of the World's Task Forces flag.  However, in order to maintain the spirit of the original design, some concessions had to be made.  Elements of good vexillography had to be abandoned in order to carry through the ideas of the original.  This amateur vexilligrapher's attempts have yielded the following improved design seen in figure 8.

Fig. 8

 
The improvements made to the design are as follows in order to better, though not perfectly, alight with vexillological orthodoxy:
         1. The colour scheme established in the original emblem has been shifted to the field
         2. The map design has been simplified as far as possible while retaining its form
         3. The Gray elements were adapted to the emblem - which was updated
         4. The motto was adjusted to maintain the original idea but make it more applicable              to the World's Task Forces ideology
This design is far from perfect, but it is a much simpler and more vexillological a propos design for an alliance in desperate need of a new flag design.

 

TL;DR: WTF's Flag is Trash

 

    

Edited October 1, 2021 by CaesarGorandius

[Indger]

Edited October 1, 2021 by Indger

[JadenStar10]

9 minutes ago, CaesarGorandius said:

TL;DR: WTF's Flag is Trash

Aw, I liked it  

[Indger]

Post by mistake

Edited October 1, 2021 by Indger

[MinesomeMC]

Chad Good Flag

Virgin Bad flag

(Flag just has too much going on, its not entirely garbage)

[Cob]

Well, that was a nice skim read. I liked the parts about TKR!

[Arln]

who are you to tell someone there flag is trash

[Natalia]

 

42 minutes ago, MinesomeMC said:

Chad Good Flag

Virgin Bad flag

(Flag just has too much going on, its not entirely garbage)

In response to this horrible, deplorable, insulting statement, I have personally taken time to redesign the Divine Phoenix Empire flag:

[Spukey]

My guy just wrote a legit essay/guide on proper flag design for the sole purpose of ripping into the World Task Force's flag.

[hidude45454]

omg wtf can't catch a break can they rofl

1 hour ago, Arln said:

who are you to tell someone there flag is trash

your flag is trash

[MinesomeMC]

1 hour ago, Arln said:

who are you to tell someone there flag is trash

You’re right someone who makes good flags is only qualified for that, so anyway WTF has a trash flag 

[Arln]

28 minutes ago, hidude45454 said:

omg wtf can't catch a break can they rofl

your flag is trash

*cries

25 minutes ago, MinesomeMC said:

You’re right someone who makes good flags is only qualified for that, so anyway WTF has a trash flag 

he has a point

53 minutes ago, Nukey6 said:

My guy just wrote a legit essay/guide on proper flag design for the sole purpose of ripping into the World Task Force's flag.

lol exactly 

 

[Indger]

12 hours ago, CaesarGorandius said:

A Vexillogical Treatise on the Design of Cloth Based Representations of Sovereign Entities

Introduction:

          When choosing a flag to represent one's nation or alliance, it is necessary to follow certain specific guidelines which are inherent to sensible design choices.  Vexillology is an exacting science which strives to provide a pleasing representation of sovereignties.  However there are many who have crafted national flags without properly understanding vexillological design.  In order for a flag to successfully represent its sovereignty it must, without question, hold fast to true vexillological ideology.  An effective ensign must have an appropriate mix of hues which are not excessive.  A flag should retain an element of simplicity which does not distract it's viewer from it's true purpose - representing a nation or alliance.  Flags should represent a consistency with the nation or alliance they represent; they should not evoke images or symbolize ideas contrary to its nation.   Lastly, a nation's flag should evoke a certain sense of pride and creativity from it's vexillographer and not simply appear to be a mishmash of shapes and images which fit inside a box.  It is my intention in developing this treatise to create a simple guideline for any future nation or alliance of nations to create a flag that not only uniquely suits the entity in question, but does so in a matter which does not offend the senses.  As such I will be setting out these guidelines and providing appropriate examples where these guidelines are followed well and where they miss the mark.

Article I:

Section 1:

         Before an aspiring vexillographer even begins to consider how to design a banner to represent a nation or an alliance, it is necessary to determine how to appropriately divide the field, or the primary backdrop of the flag.  There are several well-known ways in which the field can be divided and these ways can be mixed in a variety of manners to create a unique pattern for a representative nation.  A Canton is commonly used in flags, most notably flags of the United States of America and those of former British Colonies.  Other flags use stripes to divide the field into multiple segments horizontally, bars which do so vertically or combine them to form various crosses.  Others, like Brazil, have a Lozenge which separates a portion of the flag from its field in which an emblem, coat of arms, or charge is added to the flag.  This is by no means an exhaustive means by which flags can be designed, but are some basic elements to dividing the field should any vexillographer choose to do so.

Section 2:

         Now that it has been established that one can divide a field into distinct areas, it is necessary to establish precisely which methods of dividing said field are appropriate.  Should the vexillographer not wish to divide the field, it is most appropriate that it remain a solid colour.  However some flags exist which do not neatly divide the field, and yet have images placed on the field which potentially break this principle of vexillological design.  Figure 1 is the flag belonging to the Alliance: The World's Task Forces.

Fig. 1

 

In the above example, the primary field is a shade of grey/white (more on this in Article II), but has a pattern resembling a mercator projection of Orbis.  With no real defined zones in the field of the flag, it becomes a mishmash of shapes which are not conducive to a pleasing field design.  The Knights Radiant, on the other hand, also retains an irregular shape within the field, but it is neither overshadowed by another element nor does it use such a vast portion of space as the continents. See Figure 2 below.

Fig. 2

 

Section 3:

         Once the use of shapes to divide the field has been established, it then becomes necessary to appropriately place the primary unique symbol within the field itself.  While some flags do not need such a symbol as the design and colours of the elements dividing the field may be unique enough, others are served by incorporating a symbol, coat of arms, or charge to further distinguish the entity it represents.  The above figures are once again excellent examples of how this can be done.  While The World's Task Forces have a unique emblem which certainly goes a great distance to represent who it represents, The Knights Radiant make much more effective use of the space by not allowing the background to distract from the primary focus of its emblem.

Article II:

Section 1:

         Prior to considerations of complex designs and symbolism, it is necessary to decide on an appropriate mix of colours to represent a sovereign entity.  An appropriate flag does not consist of an excess of colours - generally flags should use 2-3 colours in establishing a proper colour scheme.  While there are exceptions to this rule in the name of symbolism (ie: the Pride Flag) they typically represent ideological movements or political organizations and not entities ruled by governments such as nations and alliances.  Exclusivity of white and black should be avoided.  While use of either or both is permissible - the primary colour should lie somewhere within the visible light spectrum.  Figure 3 shows an example where the Field of the flag is primarily gray. 

Fig. 3

 
Such a color would indicate to a vexillologist that the nation it represents is either dull or dying.  The Above figure, representing the World's Task Forces, is primarily gray, yellow, and green, with the field primarily being various shades of gray.  Gray is often used to symbolise dust and ages past.  Figure 4 represents a much more appropriate colour for a flag, red.

Fig. 4

 

Red, like the color of the field in Rose's flag above, has been used for ages to represent a great many positive attributes throughout history.  Most notably, in contrast to the World's Task Forces' depiction of morbidity, red has been used to represent life - coming from the color of blood which many ancient cultures viewed as the source of life.

Section 2:

          Choosing a good complimentary colour is equally as important as ensuring the primary colour occupying the field is appropriate.  Firstly, the two colours must be easily distinguished from each other.  Figure 3 above is a great example of how the field colour, and the colour of the secondary zones (to the extent to which they exist) are not complementary enough.  While they distinguish themselves well enough, they are simply variations of the same hue.  With the darker gray continents and the lighter portions where Orbis' oceans would exist.  Rose, on the other hand, has chosen two colours which are far more complimentary.   The red and the gold stand out one is clearly the secondary of the other.  Another example of good complimentary colouring is the flag of Guardian, which uses white to great effect, an element which is often used to symbolize purity as in Figure 5 below.

Fig. 5

 

Section 3:

          Lastly, should the designer of a flag make use of a coat of arms or a specific emblem, the colour scheme of said design should be consistent with the colours of the field, canton, lozenge, et cetera.  Returning to The World's Task Forces' flag, the emblem seems to operate on a completely different colour scheme from the field.  This indicates an almost incomprehensible combination of two different designs as if a committee took elements of other flags and put them together because they could not decide on which one to use.  Figure 6, The Knights Radiant flag from article 1 is an exception to this however.

Fig. 6

 

The Knights Radiant's flag uses the central emblem to establish it's secondary colour in a way that is complementary to the primary field colour.  Similarly, Rose's flag make's use of it's secondary colour, gold, to create the emblem at its center to further distinguish itself from other similar ensigns.   Guardian, seen above in figure 5, uses an outline and a darker hue of its primary field colour to make its coat of arms stand out from the background, while at the same time preserving the minimal colour palette.  The World's Task Forces fail to either establish a colour scheme with its emblem or compliment the field by using a new set of colours which in no way compliment the monochromatic elements within the field.

Article III:

Section 1:

          Mottos are an important element to many flags.  While most nations and alliances can do without a motto, for some it is an important part of their vexillological identity.  However, when done inappropriately it can adversely affect how a flag represents a political entity.  Figure 7 is once again the flag of the World's Task Forces.

Fig. 7

 
The above flag once again fails to use a motto to full potential.  Simply stating "We are at war," in such a colloquial way indicates that The World's Task Forces are currently engaged in conflict and that this flag is simply a military flag and not the primary flag of said alliance.  It is clear that the World's Task Forces' are (poorly) attempting to convey a pride in their ability to wage war, but much like those same conflicts, they fall short.

Section 2:

          The final point of vexillology I wish to discuss is the simplicity in flag design.  This design guideline.  This does not mean that a flag's design cannot be intricate.  On the contrary, both Rose and Guardian have very intricate emblems, but the presentation is what evokes that simplicity.  Same applies to The Knights Radiant flag.  This is probably where the biggest pitfall occurs within the vexillological analysis of the The World's Task Forces' flag.  It is simply too busy.  In the three examples above - the emblem is either one colour in opposition to the field or it uses a mix of complimentary colours to integrate the design into the flag without ruining the simplicity.  The World's Task Forces vexillographer simply slapped a 15 year old emoji on top of a monochromatic mercator projection of orbis.  It's a mishmash of shapes which fit into a box.  A box which is as well thought out as Bethesda Game studios' quality assurance process.

Conclusion:

Now that appropriate guidelines have been established to convey how to effectively design a flag to represent a political entity, let us apply our new vexillological knowledge to improving the design of the World's Task Forces flag.  However, in order to maintain the spirit of the original design, some concessions had to be made.  Elements of good vexillography had to be abandoned in order to carry through the ideas of the original.  This amateur vexilligrapher's attempts have yielded the following improved design seen in figure 8.

Fig. 8

 
The improvements made to the design are as follows in order to better, though not perfectly, alight with vexillological orthodoxy:
         1. The colour scheme established in the original emblem has been shifted to the field
         2. The map design has been simplified as far as possible while retaining its form
         3. The Gray elements were adapted to the emblem - which was updated
         4. The motto was adjusted to maintain the original idea but make it more applicable              to the World's Task Forces ideology
This design is far from perfect, but it is a much simpler and more vexillological a propos design for an alliance in desperate need of a new flag design.

 

TL;DR: WTF's Flag is Trash

 

    

Now make a good flag for my nation please! Thanks!

[Kurdanak]

please analyze this flag, a staple of P&W vexillology.

Previous commentary includes:

[Grey_wall]

14 hours ago, MinesomeMC said:

Chad Good Flag

Virgin Bad flag

(Flag just has too much going on, its not entirely garbage)

Prima flag is nice ngl 

[Placentica]

Gotta admit, that's a pretty impressive random essay generator.

[MinesomeMC]

42 minutes ago, Placentica said:

Gotta admit, that's a pretty impressive random essay generator.

if you read it, it has some good points. So if it was an essay generator, writing classes will no longer be difficult. 

6 hours ago, Kurdanak said:

please analyze this flag, a staple of P&W vexillology.

Previous commentary includes:

nah my Wei Halloween flag is always the best

[Mystic Piano]

Man this dude is so jobless to write a whole fkin essay about flags

[Krath]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:51 PM, CaesarGorandius said:

TL;DR: WTF's Flag is Trash

 

Always has been. Always will be. 

[Mr Pasta]

In case anyone's wondering, we have seasonal variants!

[lucky258]

Wow my feelings are deeply hurt right now. I spent so long designing our war flag by taking our normal flag and writing ‘we’re at war lol’ in red in MS Paint with a mouse. 

[Spukey]

On 10/3/2021 at 3:08 PM, lucky258 said:

Wow my feelings are deeply hurt right now. I spent so long designing our war flag by taking our normal flag and writing ‘we’re at war lol’ in red in MS Paint with a mouse. 

Truly a most momentous effort.

[durmij]

Nothing will ever be a bad as Guardian of the Galaxy's old flag, made worse by the fact that it was voted Best Flag because of NPO poll brigading. 

[lucky258]

Hey so I updated our flag

Lmk if its any better

tysm

[Merky Mo]

Am i in school?