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F.o.t.c.o.b., or the my amateur vexillological analysis of the flag of the city of Brisbane
The sixth episode of 99% Invisible, the great design podcast by Roman Mars, discusses the design of flags and in particular city flags.
Roman discusses with his guest Ted Kaye the 5 principles of good flag design, which are:
- Keep It Simple: the flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
- Use Meaningful Symbolism: the flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
- Use 2–3 Basic Colors: limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
- No Lettering or Seals: never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
- Be Distinctive or Be Related: avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.
Below is my city’s (Brisbane) flag
How does it rate…
Simple
Well not exactly… I’d like to see a kid accurately reproduce a caduceus let alone three caducei. Frankly even the Stafford knots would be intimidating to the artistic-challenged.
Symbolism
Here we do better. In the first, third and fifth quarters the caducei represent commerce and trade (not medicine1) resting upon Brisbane’s original economic source the river (the blue and white wavy lines). The second, fourth and sixth quarters contain two Stafford knots and a five pointed star referring to the city’s namesake, Thomas Brisbane, a famous astronomer and soldier in the 38th Foot Staffordshire Regiment.
Colours
Perfect, three colours which to this day are heavily used throughout Brisbane.
No lettering or seals
No lettering thankfully, and despite the possible confusion with the AMA no seals.
Distinctive or Related
The blue fields and stars invoke many a flag including the Australian flag, but the six quartered repeating design lends a distinctive look.
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The flags unique design in six quarters with repeating charges is unique and beautiful. The yellow dotted border is provides a wonderful frame (except for the mildly troubling rivalry with the white waves which don’t quite match and would feel awkward if they did). The caducei are of course too elaborate, but the Stafford knots and stars seem to fit. While there is perhaps too much happening and maybe the repetition is unnecessary the biggest problem is in the symbolism.
There is a similar experience in looking at the f.o.t.c.o.b. as with most Australian flags. Our flags tend to give us the feeling of being only part of a whole, subservient, an adjunct, being presiding over by the Union Jack. The flag of Brisbane seems to epitomise this feeling with it’s symbolism relating as much to the man as to the place, as if bored with it’s home dreaming of a more interesting world. This may of course be a perfect embodiment of the Brisbane, though I doubt that is what we were going for.
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Admittedly the f.o.t.c.o.b. is better than the council’s corporate logo which was often presented as a the city’s alternate flag (of which I have a poorly reproduced polyester copy).
How’s that for violation of the flag design rules.
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The Australian struggle with the Union Jack’s command over our flag has lead to much competition and debate in an attempt to usurp it’s authority. Ausflag, founded in 1981, works to popularise the idea of a new flag seemingly with little success. The Flag Society of Australia has a gallery with some of the leading designs.
These are my two favourites:
And here are some of my favourite flags from around the world.
Northern Territory, Australia
All Australia no monarchy in sight. Beautiful, simple, distinct.
Maryland, USA
Heraldry up the wazoo, much more to like than the State song.
European Union
Simple, blue, yellow.
Nepal
There is that distinction. :P
1 - The caduceus is often erroneously used as a symbol for medicine including most famously as by the U.S. Army Medical Corps, which in 1902 used the caduceus of Hermes, god of commerce and trade instead of the Rod of Asclepius. Asclepius being the son of Apollo and greek mythological medical practitioner. This may of in fact been a clever though anachronistic jibe at modern day insurance companies who use people’s poor health as a commercial gain.
