THE VEXILLOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF UNIXPLORIA

Flags, banners, and emblems are essential to any nation, even more so to our society, which prides itself on its cultural imagery.

The Vexillological Institute of Unixploria's primary task is designing, researching, and promoting our flags.

ABOUT THE FLAG OF UNIXPLORIA

The national flag of the Kingdom of Unixploria features the cross of Unixploria, a Christian cross representing our heritage and faith.

The Saltire is a widely recognized symbol of our Christian heritage and an emblem of the global Christian ecumenical movement. Its colors symbolize the sun (yellow), sky (blue), and red (representing passion and blood, encompassing both religious and national identity). In a sense, the Unixplorian cross embodies the values of tradition and curiosity, inspiring people to venture out and explore new territories.

The Evolution of the Unixplorian Flag

The colors of the flag of Unixploria have remained the same since its inception. We chose these colors to symbolize our cultural heritage and religious beliefs. The Nordic Cross was one of the first symbols considered during the initial planning of our flag. However, the Unixplorian Cross has always been a part of our history. It was previously used as a symbol of royalty but has since evolved into a national symbol. The Unixplorian Cross was finally incorporated into our national flag in 1998 when we revised it.

Revision of 1998: The Nordic Cross

The Nordic cross flag is a rectangular flag that bears the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol with the center shifted towards the hoist. All independent Nordic countries have adopted such flags in the modern period. Although the Nordic cross is named for its use in the national flags of the Nordic nations, the term is used universally by vexillologists to refer not only to the flags of the Nordic countries but also to other flags with similar designs. It is worth noting that the sideways cross is also known as the Cross of Saint Philip the Apostle, who preached in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria instead of Scandinavia.

The cross design, representing Christianity, was first seen in Denmark's national flag in the first half of the 13th century. The same design was used as a union flag during the Kalmar union (1397 to 1523) but with a red Nordic cross on a yellow background. When the union fell apart in 1523, the same design was adopted as the national flag of Sweden, but with a yellow cross on a blue background, which was derived from the Swedish coat of arms adopted in 1442. Until 1906, the background of Sweden's flag was dark blue, but it was changed to the currently used lighter shade of blue in a new flag law adopted in 1906 after the union's dissolution between Sweden and Norway. Norway adopted its flag in 1821. After gaining independence, the other Nordic countries adopted national flags of the same design- Iceland in 1915 and Finland in 1917. The Norwegian flag was the first Nordic cross flag with three colors. Additionally, all Nordic flags may be flown as gonfalons.

Revision of 2006: Our Independence Flag takes shape

In 2006, when we eventually declared our independence, we invited new designs for our national flag. Although some of the suggested ideas were quite unconventional, we continued to encourage our citizens' creativity. The different designs were then evaluated, resulting in the selection of a final design that has been the official flag of the Kingdom of Unixploria ever since.

WHAT IS VEXILLOLOGY?

Vexillology is the scientific study of flags' history, symbolism, and usage. The term often refers to any serious research or interest in flags. A vexillologist studies flags; a lexicographer designs flags, and the art of designing flags is called vexillography. A vexillophile is someone who is a hobbyist or general admirer of flags.

The word itself is a combination of the Latin word vexillum (meaning "flag") and the Greek suffix -logia ("study").

The International Federation of Vexillological Associations defines vexillology as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge." (Source)

Whitney Smith, an American scholar, is credited with coining the term "vexillology" in 1957. He noted that while flags have been used throughout human history, the serious study of their usage did not have a term until 1959. Previously, the study of flags was generally considered a part of heraldry, the study of armorial bearings.

In 1961, the American scholar Smith formalized vexillology with the publication of The Flag Bulletin. Smith organized several flag organizations and meetings during his lifetime, including the first International Congress of Vexillology (ICV), the North American Vexillological Association, and the International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV).

Vexillology is a field of study that involves academic work in sociology, history, or design, as well as contributions from the flag industry and interest from flag enthusiasts. The International Congress of Vexillology (ICV) and local vexillological meetings cover various flags-related interests. Since 1969, an ICV meeting has been organized every two years under the auspices of FIAV. The papers presented at ICV meetings have been published afterward as the Congress's Proceedings.

The Art of Vexillography

The Institute is primarily interested in vexillography, the art and practice of designing flags. A person who designs flags is a vexillographer. Vexillography is closely related to, but not the same as, vexillology, which is the scholarly study of flags.

Background 

Various practical concerns, historical circumstances, and cultural prescriptions have shaped the evolution of flag designs, leading to certain regularities.

Vexillographers are challenged to create designs that can be manufactured and mass-produced onto a piece of cloth, which will then be hoisted outdoors to represent an individual, organization, group, or idea. This makes flag designing different from logo designing, as logos are usually still images that are easy to read off a page, screen, or billboard, while flags are draped and fluttering images that can be seen from varying distances and angles, including the reverse. This practical aspect of flag designing often uses simple, bold colors and shapes.

Flag design has a rich history. Often, new designs draw inspiration from previous designs by quoting them directly, elaborating on them, or commenting on them. Some current flag designs can be traced back to a few common ancestors, such as the Pan-African colors, the Pan-Arab colors, the Pan-Slavic colors, the Nordic Cross flag, and the Ottoman flag.

Some cultures have established specific guidelines for designing their flags, often through heraldic or other authoritative systems. In recent years, vexillographers have developed design principles to guide the creation of flags. The North American Vexillological Association and the Flag Institute have jointly published guiding principles for flag design.

Principles of design 

In 2006, the North American Vexillological Association published a booklet titled "Good Flag, Bad Flag" to help people design or redesign flags. The brochure lists five basic principles of flag design that have become the standard in the vexillology community. In 2014, the Association and the Flag Institute released an updated version of the booklet called "The Commission's Report on the Guiding Principles of Flag Design." This new version goes into more depth on the principles laid out in the previous booklet and addresses some of its issues. The guidelines in this booklet can be summarized as follows:

Basics 

• Remember the physics of a flag in flight when designing a flag.
• Simple designs are more easily remembered, while complex ones are harder to recall and recreate.
• Flags should have distinctive designs that separate them from others.
• Designs and trends should be avoided if there is a possibility that they can date quickly.

Color 

• Using fewer colors keeps designs simple and bold.
• Contrast is essential; use light on dark and dark on light.
• Modern printing techniques have made more shades of color available, which can be used advantageously.
• Designs should make the edge of a flag well-defined so as not to get visually lost in the background of where it is flying.
• Gradient flags make it look too computer-generated and challenging to sew/draw. Try to avoid gradients.

Structure 

• Charges are best placed in the canton, hoist, or center of a design, as these are the most visually prominent areas.
• Flag designs are usually longer than they are tall.
• Having different designs on the obverse and reverse of a flag undermines recognition and increases the cost of production.

Devices 

• A single device should be used in a prominent position to ensure that people can recognize the flag, whether in flight or at rest.
• Different background colors can "anchor" the devices into the overall design when multiple devices are included.
• Devices should be stylized graphical representations instead of realistic drawings so anyone can easily recreate and recognize the flag.
• Avoid text on flags; it is difficult to read while the flag is in flight and will appear backward on its reverse.
• Charges with directionality traditionally face toward the hoist or flagpole.
• Seals, coats of arms, or logos are usually too complex to be used effectively on a flag, although exceptions exist.

Symbolism 

• Symbols should be both distinct and representative.
• A flag should represent the totality of any given community instead of its parts.
• A flag should emphasize its own identity over higher-level groupings. Otherwise, distinctiveness is lost.
• Symbolism relating to other entities should only be used with a clear, direct relevance.
• Designers should avoid representing any particular reference in multiple ways and instead try to make a single definitive reference.