1. KEEP IT
SIMPLE
| The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory… |
| Flags flap. Flags drape. Flags must be seen from a distance. Under these circumstances, only simple designs make effective flags. Furthermore, complicated flags cost more to make, which often can limit how widely they are used. |
| Most poor designs have the elements of a great flag in them—simplify them by focusing on a single symbol, a few colors, large shapes, and no lettering. Avoid the temptation to include a symbol for everybody. |
| Ideally the design will be reversible or at least recognizable from either side. Don’t put a different design on the back. |
| GOOD | BAD |
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| Congo | West Virginia (USA) |
| With bold, contrasting colors, large shapes, and parallel lines, this flag is also easily recognized when reversed. | The seal itself is complex, the white background is boring, and the overall design differs from other state flags only in its blue border. |
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