New Zealand’s flag is an international symbol of national identity. It represents the people of a nation and is used at commemorations, celebrations, and times of mourning.
Its royal blue background is reminiscent of the blue sea and sky surrounding us, and the stars of the Southern Cross signify our place in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union Flag recognises our historical foundations and that New Zealand was once a British colony and dominion.
Our current flag has been under national review and our country is soon to vote on whether to keep the existing flag or to make a change to the "Silver Fern Flag" designed by Kyle Lockwood.
So what does the 'new flag' represent?
The designer considers the silver fern a New Zealand icon which has been proudly worn by generations for over 160 years. The designer’s intent is that the multiple points of the fern leaf represent Aotearoa's peaceful, multicultural society, a single fern spreading upwards representing one people growing onward into the future. The bright blue represents our clear skies and the Pacific Ocean, and the Southern Cross guided early settlers to our islands and represents our location in the South Pacific.
Design must be simple
Use horizontal lines are often used as these tend to ‘fly’ well and look attractive
Flags are double sided. Each side mirrors the other
Make sure the flag is well proportioned
The design may reflect different aspects
Colours symbolise a number of different things. Some common meanings are:
Red: blood, danger, stop
White: peace, surrender, truce, clouds, cleanliness
Orange: courage, sacrifice, caution
Green: nature, hope, safety, proceed
Yellow: sickness, caution, sun
Black: origin, depth, earth, mourning
Blue: sea, sky, youth, spiritImages on flags can have meaning:
Sun: Liberty, a new era
Stars: location around the world, the number of islands or states, a nation’s ideals
Cross: used usually when a country has a Christian heritage
Coat of Arms or Shield: used in association of the monarchy
Above all the images used must be important and significant to the group it represents
Elements of Designing a Flag
Design must be simple
Use horizontal lines are often used as these tend to ‘fly’ well and look attractive
Flags are double sided. Each side mirrors the other
Make sure the flag is well proportioned
The design may reflect different aspects
Colours symbolise a number of different things. Some common meanings are:
Red: blood, danger, stop
White: peace, surrender, truce, clouds, cleanliness
Orange: courage, sacrifice, caution
Green: nature, hope, safety, proceed
Yellow: sickness, caution, sun
Black: origin, depth, earth, mourning
Blue: sea, sky, youth, spiritImages on flags can have meaning:
Sun: Liberty, a new era
Stars: location around the world, the number of islands or states, a nation’s ideals
Cross: used usually when a country has a Christian heritage
Coat of Arms or Shield: used in association of the monarchy
Above all the images used must be important and significant to the group it represents
Hi, this is the ted talk about the flag designing:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnv5iKB2hl4
after the first part he talks about the rules of designing a flag, they are so true!