My Illinois Flag Redesign Submission

A few months ago, it was announced that the State of Illinois was considering a new state flag and would be opening the design commission to the public. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity to create a potential new flag for my home state and submitted a design in late September that I was quite proud of.

Unfortunately, I was not among the ten finalists announced earlier this week. No doubt there were hundreds of designs submitted for the commission, so the competition was bound to be tough, and I wasn't too surprised that I didn't make the cut. I'm excited to see which design the Illinois Flag Commission ultimately chooses after public voting has ended next year.

While this was my first real attempt at vexillography (the art and practice of designing flags), I'm still very proud of the flag I created and have decided to share it here along with my rationale behind the elements I included in the design.

My reimagined Illinois flag highlights several different aspects of the state:

• The deep blue field that makes up most of the flag represents Lake Michigan, which borders the northeast area of Illinois and was previously a major trade gateway for the state.
• The two lighter blue stripes on the right and left sides of the flag represent the major rivers that border the state, the Mississippi River on the western border and the Wabash River and Ohio River on the southeastern border.
• Both of the lighter blue stripes are exactly 1/18th of the full width of the flag, representing the year that Illinois joined the Union, 1818.
• The deep blue color used on the flag is Old Glory Blue, No. 70075.
• The lighter blue used for the stripes is #41B6E6, the same blue used for Chicago’s branding.
• In the center of the flag is a white six-pointed star representing Chicago, the largest city in Illinois and an economic and cultural powerhouse within the country.
• The star also represents the state’s status as a shining beacon within the Midwest.
• Surrounding the star are leafy golden sprigs representing Illinois’s significant contributions within the agricultural industry as well as the state’s official nickname, The Prairie State.
• Each sprig has six leaves on it for a total of 72 leaves on the flag. They represent the 72,000 farms of Illinois.
• Together, the star and leafy sprigs are reminiscent of a snowflake, appropriate for a state known for fierce winter weather.
• The center lockup also pays homage to the sunburst used on the current Illinois flag.