Saint Louis Flag

Roman Mars' TED Talk is an interesting discussion of what makes a good flag. This talk is funny, engaging, and relevant for everyone and their city.

           The current flag of St. Louis follows most of these standards for flag design, and in my opinion, is very well-designed. For the most part, it is simple. The symbolism is meaningful for the city – the stripes converging represent the merging of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and the fleur de lis represents the French influence on the city. While there are 4 colors on the flag, I think they work well together and are not overwhelming. It has no lettering or seals, and is distinct. Here is the flag of St. Louis: 

            If I had to redesign this flag, which I believe is already well-designed (also, fun fact: St. Louis’ flag was voted 5^th best designed United States city flag by the North American Vexillological Association in 2004), I might simplify the flag with less wavy stripes and less color. Here is the new design:

            I have designed this flag while keeping in mind the 5 principles for good flag design. Mars outlines the “rules” for a good flag: 1. Keep it simple, 2. Use meaningful symbolism, 3. Use 2-3 basic colors, 4. No lettering/seals, and 5. Be distinctive. First, I made sure the flag was simple. The most complex element of the flag is the fleur de lis, which was still easy for me to draw, and would probably be fairly easy for a child to replicate. The symbolism is also very meaningful for St. Louis. The stripes represent the rivers in St. Louis, which are a very important element for St. Louisans – the river is associated with downtown and with the Arch. The fleur de lis is also very symbolic, as it represents the ever-present French influence on St. Louis, which can be seen in neighborhood names (Soulard), street names (Chouteau Avenue, Laclede Avenue), and even in the name of the city of Saint Louis itself (Louis IX of France). The colors used are basic, and also represent the city of St. Louis as a small part of the bigger United States by using red, white, and blue. There is no lettering or seals on the flag. Finally, the flag is distinct – it has unique elements that would not normally be used on another flag (except for perhaps the fleur de lis, which is used on the New Orleans flag as well, but the two flags are very different). I think this flag is a flag that St. Louis can be proud of, and combines the elements of what is important to the city’s history.