Industrial designer Ed Mitchell of Philadelphia-based product design firm Bresslergroup has decided to give the 50 US state flags a massive redesign, in a project called ‘United We Stand’.
According to Mitchell, he felt that the current flag designs have “no indication they come from the same nation” and that they reminded him of a “divided nation”.
In order to create a more “cohesive group of flags”, he removed Confederate-related symbols, replacing them with “decidedly American” motifs like the star and stripe, as well as the eagle, olive branch, shield, and Lady Liberty.
He also used “unique geography, historical and famous events, and state mottos and symbols” to give each state flag a stronger visual identity.
“I love the idea that we can argue and fight with each other and that we have the freedom to redesign potent, historic symbols,” described Mitchell. “Freedom of expression—of speech and ideas—is what makes this nation great.”
“But lately it feels like we’re off balance. I believe design can be used as a tool to challenge our current beliefs—in this case, to make people think about what we represent, what image we want to project, and how it will look when we’re all working together.”
To find out more about the project, please click here.
Check out some of the redesign flags below:
Arizona
California
Texas
New York
Washington DC
Nevada
Virginia
Wyoming
Washington
Oregon
[via Bresslergroup]