I love flags and learning about their history, usage, and symbolism (a study called vexillology). I also like creating and designing flags for contests or fun. In 2019, I designed and submitted three flag designs for the North American Vexillological Association’s 54th annual meeting, which was slated to be in St. Augustine, Florida in the summer of 2020, although it was postponed because of the pandemic. While I didn’t win, I was surprised to see how similar one of my designs was to the winning one! The common emblem they share is a stylized outline of the view from above of the city’s famous Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest fort in the country.

The winning flag design for a vexillology conference in St. Augustine, Florida (left) and one of the designs I submitted (right).

I also enjoy creating flags that blend the colors and elements of one flag with the style of another. My engagement with flags is largely digital, and vexillology opens up interesting aspects of history, culture, and politics, especially as the American flag (presently and historically) has been the focus of controversy and debate. I’m interested in how digital environments negotiate the flag as a symbol for a nation and its values. Exploring the intersection of digital tools for creating and presenting flags and many of the disciplines of the humanities is something that I hope to do much more in the future.

From left, the flags of Panama, Burundi, and my synthesis of the two.
From left, the flags of South Sudan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and my synthesis of the two.
From left, the flags of Portugal, Iceland, and my synthesis of the two.