beautiful city flags

1/9/2021

Roman Mars' iconic 2015 TED Talk on Flag Design still stands as a triumph of design education to a mass public audience. By speaking plainly and succinctly about the importance of designed symbols in everyday life, he was able to raise awareness about our saturated visual culture, and prod us to think deeper about our surroundings. For me, the talk was a gateway into the world of vexillology (the study of flags), and it begged the question: if folks are able to pick up the cues of great flag design, would they someday be able to understand great architectural design in the everyday urban environment? I am a huge proponent of design education, and I believe good design matters to livelihood and public well-being. I am still trying to find the right way to communicate those ideas to the larger public, in a way that is relevant and entertaining.

Here is a list of city flags I love.