3 Questions For A Utah Flag Re-Design Committee Member

Utahns, your mom and I are getting a new flag. Let’s talk about it. Or rather, let’s talk to University of Utah design professor Elpitha Tsoutsounakis about what makes a good flag and why we should even have one. Head to our pod for the full interview with Elpitha and host Ali Vallarta.

What makes a good flag design?
“What makes a good flag design is that it’s simple. You can’t have too many colors or too intricate shapes. It has to be at the right scale to be able to be large or small but still communicate well. You want it to be replicable on a variety of different materials — on paper, on cloth, or tattooed on your skin.”

In the digital age, why do we need a physical flag? 
“Until we can transport our consciousness to virtual beings completely we still live in physical bodies. It’s why I still believe in a physical book. It’s why I still get the newspaper on Sundays delivered to my porch so I can read it. I think we want to engage with something. A flag can be in so many different places, off of the screen, in our real lives. The digital just isn’t enough.”

Is Utah’s new flag going to be a beehive?“
I mean, if I was a betting woman…I would probably put my money on a beehive.”