What the hex is vexillology?

5 MIN READ

Anyone who knows Sebastian Tianbini, knows he loves vexillology. It’s one of those words few people know, but everyone is familiar with the designs that come from it. Vexillology is the study of flags. If you live in the US, you know flags are everywhere. We love our flags to show our love of country; And in other cases, our disapproval. But it goes beyond Old Glory. We love flags of all kinds. 

I’ve since learned that many people outside the US are not aware that we don’t stop at the “Red, White, and Blue.” Each of our fifty states has a flag. Many cities and towns each fly a flag. We have flags waving at sporting events, and the list goes on and on.

The team at Quick Pickle Design decided to sit down with our head designer, Sebastian Tianbini, and ask him why he loves flags so much. 

Here’s the interview: 

QPD Staff Writer: Sebastian Tianbini, thanks for being here with us today.

Tianbini: Thanks. It’s good to be here.

QPD Staff Writer: Today, we wanted to ask you why you love vexillology so much?

Tianbini: Oh, great topic! I think vexillology just might be one of the best design systems of all time.

QPD Staff Writer: Really?

Tianbini: Yes, the system is simple and the rules are easy to follow; And yet, there are so many bad flag designs. It’s baffling. So I tend to marvel at those that truly get it right. There’s nothing better than a good flag design.

QPD Staff Writer: Can you give us some examples?

Tianbini: Sure, but let’s start with the rules of vexillology. That’ll help explain why I like certain flags more than others.

QPD Staff Writer: Ok, what are the rules of great flag design?

Tianbini: Like I said, the rules are simple. The North American Vexillological Association has five key principles, and they are… Number one: Keep it so simple a child could draw it; Two: Use meaningful symbolism; Three: Use only two or three basic colors, and when combined, have strong contrast; Four: No lettering or state seals; and the Fifth is probably the hardest to execute well, and that is, be distinctive from other flags, yet related to other flags for which there is a relationship. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.

QPD Staff Writer: Ok, so what flag designs to it right?

Tianbini: Well, the first one that comes to mind for addressing all five principles, is the city of Denver, Colorado. They actually break some of the rules, but I think they break the rules successfully.

QPD Staff Writer: I can picture the Colorado flag, but I have no clue what Denver’s flag looks like.

Tianbini: Let’s start with Colorado. It’s comprised of Blue, White, Red, and Yellow. That’s four colors, which one could argue breaks the principle of using only two or three colors, but the design and symbolism is so strong, it’s easy to see why they went with four colors. There is blue representing the sky, white for snow, a red letter C representing the common red dirt and rocks in Colorado, and inside the C is a circle of yellow, representing the sun and the gold that was mined during the early days of the state.

QPD Staff Writer: I noticed they broke another principle – No lettering.

Tianbini: Yes, they have the letter C colored red. I give them a pass here too. In Spanish, the word Colorado means “colored red.” And one of the distinctive defining features of the Colorado landscape are the red rocks. By chance, have you ever seen a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater?

QPD Staff Writer: No, but I hear it’s quite an experience.

Tianbini: It is! Red Rocks is one of the many city parks in Denver, but it’s a special one. You should go sometime. You’ll be glad you did.

QPD Staff Writer: I’ll be sure to tick it off the bucket list. And the yellow sun? Is that necessary?

Tianbini: Well, Colorado averages about 300 sunny days a year, so the use of the sun is not gratuitous, it’s fitting. And the design is so simple, a child can draw it.

QPD Staff Writer:  Ok, and the Denver city flag?

Tianbini: The Denver flag was selected by a contest of several designs. The winning design submission was from a high school girl back in the 1920s. I think she nailed it!

QPD Staff Writer: A high schooler? Impressive! Give us the breakdown.

Tianbini: First, keep in mind, she had to design something distinctly different and yet related to her state flag of Colorado. Her Denver flag design has a blue sky, yellow sun and gold, and two red mountains covered in white snow. She used the same four colors, all with the same symbolism as the Colorado state flag, except instead of a red C, her design has two red mountains. Now, I will say, at first glance, when you see the mountains in her design, they kind of look like the shape of the letter M, which has no relevance for Denver. But if you know Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, you’ll see what she saw. She’s symbolizing the Red Rocks park to represent Denver. It’s a great design!

QPD Staff Writer: I get it now. Flag design is like a free-form puzzle. When the parts are put together, it has to evoke meaning that symbolizes the place it represents. Simple.

Tianbini: Simple, yet still so many bad flags out there.

QPD Staff Writer: Can you pick a worst design?

Tianbini: Oh, there are so many, but Idaho, Virginia, and Nebraska come to mind. All three have a seal on them, which we might say are well executed for a state seal, but they are completely unreadable as a flag that’s supposed to be waving high on a flag pole. They break too many of the rules to be considered good vexillology.

QPD Staff Writer: And some other good ones?

Tianbini: The ones included in the Tianbini Vexillology Collection are among my favorites. Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, they all do it right. Utah just updated their flag in 2024 and it’s much improved. And some flags come close, like California. The California flag features a California Grizzly Bear but the bear is too detailed and they have the bear standing on a chunk of floating grass with too much detail. For symbolism, it would be ok to silhouette the bear and omit the floating grass entirely. In the Tianbini California designs, the grass and all the lettering have been removed to help them out a little.

QPD Staff Writer: How about city flags other than Denver?

Tianbini: I think Chicago wins. If you ever go to Chicago, you’ll see it everywhere. Chicago loves their flag and I do too. Washington DC is another great city flag.

QPD Staff Writer: Sebastian Tianbini, this was fun. Thanks for sharing your love of flags with us. 

Tianbini: Thank you!