New York state flag redesign

Design and symbolism

Instead of the cluttered state coat of arms, I’ve used eleven stars to mark New York’s place as the eleventh state to join the Union. By setting them vertically against a blue hoist, the design maintains a structural connection to the American aesthetic while remaining a distinct, state-specific banner.The fly is defined by five stripes of orange and white, drawing from the Prinsenvlag and the Dutch foundations of the region. While these colors are often associated strictly with the city, they reflect a heritage shared by many upstate counties and cities as well. I chose the five-stripe layout to represent the various quintets that define the state’s makeup: the five original nations of the Iroquois, the five boroughs of the city, the five major river systems, the five distinct geographic regions, and the five major upstate hubs of Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Utica. It is a design intended to bridge the gap between the coastal metropolis and the interior, unifying the state’s history with its geography.