How to design a flag
Good flags follow five principles that vexillologists have tested on hundreds of real designs. Here they are, with a shrink test that shows why they work.
The shrink test
A flag is almost never seen up close. It flies on a pole across a square, hangs on a building or appears as a 20‑pixel icon. Drag the slider to walk away from these two flags.
The lettering is already unreadable, and the seal’s ring of stars is turning into a smudge. The simple flag hasn’t changed.
That is the whole argument for simplicity: a flag has to work at its smallest and furthest, not its biggest and closest.
The five principles of good flag design
These come from Good Flag, Bad Flag by Ted Kaye, published by the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA). They are guidelines, not laws, but nearly every widely admired flag follows all five.
- 1
Keep it simple
The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory. Japan, Canada and Switzerland pass instantly; most U.S. state flags that put a seal on a blue field do not.
- 2
Use meaningful symbolism
The images, colours or patterns should relate to what the flag stands for. Canada’s maple leaf and Lebanon’s cedar are unmistakable. Pick one idea and make it bold.
- 3
Use 2–3 basic colours
Limit the palette to two or three colours from the standard set (red, blue, green, black, yellow, white) and let them contrast: a light colour next to a dark one.
- 4
No lettering or seals
Never use writing or an organisation’s seal. Text is illegible at a distance and reads backwards on the reverse. Mississippi replaced its flag in 2020 and Utah in 2024, both dropping crowded designs for simpler emblems.
- 5
Be distinctive or be related
Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections. The Nordic cross links five countries; the pan-African colours link many more.
A practical process
- Write one sentence about what the flag represents. If you need two, you probably need fewer symbols.
- Choose a layout before choosing symbols. Stripes, a cross, a triangle or a canton carry most of a flag’s identity. The blank templates show the common ones.
- Pick two or three colours with a light-dark contrast. The flag colour meanings guide covers the traditional associations.
- Add at most one symbol, big and simple, in the centre, the canton or on the hoist.
- Shrink it and flip it. Check it at 32 px and mirrored, the way it appears on the back.
- Ask for a second opinion. The flag maker has an AI review that scores your design against the five principles and suggests edits.
ahaboo is a free website of guided visual explainers where you adjust and drag your way through ideas to see how they actually work.
Questions
What makes a good flag design?
The five principles from Ted Kaye’s “Good Flag, Bad Flag” (published by the North American Vexillological Association): keep it simple, use meaningful symbolism, use two or three basic colours, avoid lettering and seals, and be distinctive or be related.
Why shouldn’t flags have writing on them?
Flags are seen from a distance, while moving, and from both sides. Text becomes unreadable at a few metres, appears mirrored on the reverse, and makes the flag look like a banner advertisement. A symbol does the same job and survives all three problems.
How many colours should a flag have?
Two or three is the sweet spot. Almost every national flag uses a basic set: red, blue, green, black, yellow and white. More colours make the flag harder to recognise and more expensive to manufacture.
How do I test my flag design?
Shrink it. Draw it about 3 × 4.5 cm, the size of a flag seen across a street, or use the shrink test above. If you can still tell what it is, and a child could redraw it from memory, the design is working.