The state of Illinois established a commission tasked with “developing new State flag designs and making recommendations to the General Assembly,” and opened the redesign process to the public. The guidelines were relatively simple—submissions only needed to include a name, bio, the design, and a 500-character write-up. While redesigning a flag as notoriously poor as Illinois’—one that breaks nearly every rule of vexillology—might seem easy, symbolically representing the state proved challenging on several levels. I submitted three designs: Tree of Life, Lincoln, and 21-Point Sun and I’m including the sketches I wasn’t able to submit for each design. The 21-Point Sun was my recommended design.

DESIGN CHALLENGES
– 2 geographic areas on the opposite end of the spectrum: Chicago and agricultural fields
– Politically polarized from urban to rural with downstate feeling under-represented
– City of Chicago’s flag is memorable and well known
– Few symbols to pull from that will be deemed unique (corn, cardinal, Chicago star, 21st state)
– Middle of the country, flat and charmingly normal

DESIGN APPROACH
I considered leveraging universal icons that represented diverse populations, with a bit of uniqueness that feels fresh. In our polarized culture, redesigning the flag was controversial so I pulled from the existing flag to create trust—specifically the circular shape, a similar color palette and Chicago flag’s star. The decision-making process was by committee first and then was opened to public voting. I believed because of this, no one design would win outright. Strategically as much as I could with the write-ups, I positioned myself as an Illinois designer providing three options and offered to work with the flag redesign committee to finalize a design. I did this because I assumed an amazingly iconic design would unlikely win but a clever one that could be embraced by all and gain iconic status over time; now that seemed like a practical possibility.

TREE OF LIFEDESIGN
This Tree of Life flag design draws from Celtic and other traditions to symbolize all life—past and present—our interconnectedness, and growth. It represents universal concepts that unite generations across our great state. The design retains the same space and color palette as the current flag’s emblem, paying homage. And the tree’s canopy doubles as the sky, subtly featuring Orion, a key constellation that sparks storytelling and aspirations for our future.

LINCOLN DESIGN
This design highlights Abraham Lincoln's significance to Illinois. His formative years as a lawyer and politician in our state laid the groundwork for his leadership during the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. From his humble beginnings to becoming an iconic president, Lincoln's legacy and final resting place in the "Land of Lincoln," remains a lasting source of pride that we should fully embrace.

21-POINT SUNDESIGN
This 21-point Sun design draws from Illini tribal art, with the sun symbolizing life, warmth, growth, and renewal—values relevant now and for the future. The 21 rays represent Illinois as the 21st state, while the blue fields stand for Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. And the overall blue palette represents our democratic tradition, the blue skies that are often over our heads and the calming nature of our midwestern personality. The sun's circles and rays emanating from the core symbolize commerce, transportation & innovation, reflecting Illinois' role as a hub spanning aspects like the city of Chicago, innovation at Fermi Lab, the green treasure of the Shawnee National Forest and our statewide agriculture.