There are 196 countries in the world, each represented by its own, distinct flag. But what about the flag for the countries’ home?
Oskar Pernefeldt, a Swedish student at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm, took to the task of branding Earth and creating the planet’s pennant as his graduation project. The result is a white geometric design — with a bit of resemblance to the Olympic rings — on top of a cobalt blue background.
However, the final design was hardly a quick photoshop job. In Pernefeldt’s design proposal, he explains the careful science — called vexillology — he took into consideration when assembling the International Flag of Planet Earth. The dimensions of the flag — a ratio of 2:3 — is the most common among all countries’ flags. The white symbol central to the design consists of seven white rings (perhaps one for each continent) linked together on top of a bright blue background, which represents Earth’s oceans. The hue of blue selected was also strategic: Pernefeldt’s proposal: explains that the color of blue needed to be able to stand out against the white of astronauts’ spacesuits and shuttles and the black of the universe. Too light of a blue would blend into the white, and too dark of a blue would blend into the black.
So what’s the point? Pernefeldt writes that the flag would be used when representing Earth, namely on expeditions into outer space, but also “to remind people of Earth that we share this planet, no matter of national boundaries.”
Find more information on Pernefeldt’s proposal for the International Flag of Planet Earth on its website.
Original Article:http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/05/swedish-student-designs-a-flag-for-earth.html
THE DESIGN
The scientific study of flags is called vexillology, and the practice of designing flags is called vexillography. Both of these are an outcome of heraldry. In these practices there are different unofficial design rules/costums, about colors, placement, proportions, typography, and aestethics in general.
This proposal is accurate according to the regulations regarding flags.
SYMBOLIC EXPLANATION
Centered in the flag, seven rings form a flower – a symbol of the life on Earth. The rings are linked to each other, which represents how everything on our planet, directly or indirectly, are linked. The blue field represents water which is essential for life – also as the oceans cover most of our planet’s surface. The flower’s outer rings form a circle which could be seen as a symbol of Earth as a planet and the blue surface could represent the universe.
HERALDIC BLAZON
Centered on an azure field, seven circles of silver interlaced, creating a flower.
Original Article:http://www.flagofplanetearth.com/#space-walk
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