City Flag

[Bullbear]

I would Agree JTF. and it would really date the flag design. something a bit more timeless for the state would be more appropriate

[Just the facts]

One thing I think that gets lost in this type of issue is who the audience is. The City flag isn't for the rest of the world's benefit, it is for the people of OKC. People in other cities aren't supposed to get the symbolism intuitively. It's not a projection of what we are saying to the world, it is a representation of what we are saying to ourselves (see Confederate Battle Flag disagreements).

[ShadowStrings]

I did not try very hard on this, so don't judge, but what about something like this:



It is a twist on a very common design for national flags, but it is also an abstract "OKC." In case you don't see it, maybe this will help:



To be clear, the flag would be the top one. I don't love it yet, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway. The colors could be whatever. I like red since Oklahoma means "red people" and could symbolize our ties to Native American history. I feel like the middle color should symbolize the land run or maybe oil. And then the last color could symbolize our rebirth/growth (hence why I chose green), because of our response to the bombing, all that MAPS has brought us, and the direction we are heading in the future (not just now, but that could always be a perpetual theme).

I like JTF's flag a lot (especially that it can be depicted through the bar-shaped micro flag), though I don't know that I'm convinced the colors look great together. My criticism would be that if the design is supposed to be timeless, I don't necessarily like that some of the colors represent industries (blue for aviation, black for oil). Ideally, we will become more diversified over time, and while those industries are important to our city now, they may not always be.

[Just the facts]

I kind of like that. If you don't mind, I would like to play around with it a little bit and try some different color combinations and orientation.

[ShadowStrings]

Help yourself. It's just a concept, and I'm sure many people could make it look way better than I did.

[Just the facts]

Okay, I was able to play around with this at lunch today and I came up with some pretty cool variations of your design. I'll post them when I get home from the Dodgers game tonight.

[ctchandler]

Okay, I was able to play around with this at lunch today and I came up with some pretty cool variations of your design. I'll post them when I get home from the Dodgers game tonight.

JTF,
Glad you have your priorities right! A good night at the ballpark will probably even be "inspiring". Hope it's a good game.
C. T.

[Just the facts]

If the Dodgers play like last night it will just be a white flag.

[Just the facts]

This is one sample I came up with based on ShadowString's design. Of course the OKC has already been explained by ShadowString. I used the same angle in the 'K' for the 'C' to give the flag a unique shape. The Star identifies OKC as a seat of government and is divided into 3 sections for City, County, and State levels. The 4 colors in the star represent the 4 pillars of OKC's commerce (Gold - banking and finance, Blue - aviation/air force/faa, Green - agriculture, Black - oil). Finally, the star serves as the hole in the center of the 'O' bar.

[Zuplar]

I took Shadows as idea as well cause I kind of like it and did my own thing. I tried to mesh the color scheme of JTF's original flag which I also thought could work as well as his idea of the star.

[CCOKC]

I think you guys are getting somewhere with those designs.

[Just the facts]

[mkjeeves]

Here's a quick riff off your's. However, the symbolism of this direction is skewed way too much towards government and commerce for me. Almost zero reference to people and culture outside of that. Maybe the red field speaks some to that. Maybe not.

[Just the facts]

I decided to drop the whole reference to commerce. The fields still spell OKC and the 3 stars are for the 3 levels of government in OKC (State, County, and City). The red and blue are from the City Seal.

[Just the facts]

This is a version that drops commerce and government and just focuses on the people. The five stars represent the peace and unity of the people. Flag still spells OKC.

[Mel]

I hope the city reads this thread, some pretty cool flags are coming out of it.

[Martin]

alright... i actually like that last one. -M

[Zuplar]

This is a version that drops commerce and government and just focuses on the people. The five stars represent the peace and unity of the people. Flag still spells OKC.

I like what you got going here, even the colors, but I think the original "OKC" design where the K is more pronounced and the C is flat on the end has a much cleaner look. I'd really like to see exactly what you did done in that style.

Edit, I took it upon myself to make the changes. Just my opinion, but I this this is more pronounced and cleaner and really makes the "OKC" pop.

[Just the facts]

I could live with that version Zupla. I under-emphasized the K so that it wasn't obvious to the casual observer - but then after having it pointed out one would wonder, "How the heck did I not see that."

[ljbab728]

I could live with any of them because a city flag really means very little in the overall scheme of things. Few would pay any attention to it at all. I do appreciate the work you have put in the designs though.

[Just the facts]

I could live with any of them because a city flag really means very little in the overaiill scheme of things. Few would pay any attention to it at all. I do appreciate the work you have put in the designs though.

That is 100% true of the current city flag. However, in cities with a distictive flag I have found it to be prominately displayed.

If one of these flags flew in the baseball stadium, outside the Arena, at City Hall, the library, the Memorial, and other promenent places people would take notice.

[baralheia]

Exactly. Take the Chicago city flag for instance... It's distinctive and you see that thing EVERYWHERE up there.

[ShadowStrings]

I like the last couple versions you guys have made as well.

[Zuplar]

I could live with that version Zupla. I under-emphasized the K so that it wasn't obvious to the casual observer - but then after having it pointed out one would wonder, "How the heck did I not see that."

Yeah I get that, but at the same time I kind of like that it's obvious.

After all this work that's been done, I'd almost be interested in trying to get this out there to maybe see about getting a new city flag. All of our designs are quite a bit better than the current 'seal' flag.

[mkjeeves]

Mixed feelings about using OKC the way it's being used. From a design standpoint, carving letters out a shape has been done to death and there's nothing really forward thinking about it. OTOH, there's mass appeal sometimes with those kinds of things.

I like the pennant idea that was hinted at in one of the earlier designs. Here's a riff on that. (Angular lines tend to add energy and movement. Repetition of form tends to add unity of a design. The cut in the end, repeats in the meeting of the k and and again in the star. The blue chevron is an angular shape pointing to another angular shape that makes up three points of the star.) Honestly, a public call for entries that more people would see would probably result in some designs that would knock our socks off.