A flag is more than just a symbol; it is a powerful emblem of community spirit – a visual representation of who we are. As Apopka continues to grow and evolve, we need a unique flag to reflect our city’s identity. This contest invites our community to come together and create that symbol.
You can win
$250 grand prize from the City of Apopka and the honor of recognition at the flag design presentation (with the real flag) during the Happy Birthday Apopka event. Prize money is only available to legal US residents. Contest open to anyone.
Download a helpful entry guide (PDF)
LET'S CREATE IT TOGETHER
Design Guidelines
- Design must be created on a 3×5 note card
- Entries must be hand-drawn and use solid colors. No graduated colors or digital art will be accepted
- All entries will be judged based on the North American Vexillological Association’s 5 principles of good design along with other factors.
- A paragraph (150 words or less) explaining symbolism in the flag is required
Submission Guidelines
- Submission dates: August 8 – September 16, 2024
- Individuals may submit up to three (3) different entries
- Entries must include contact information: name, address, phone number, email and a paragraph (150 words or less) explaining symbolism in the flag is required
- Entries without contact information provided will be listed as anonymous and not eligible for any prizes.
- Everyone is encouraged to participate. You do NOT have to be an Apopka resident to participate.
- There is no cost to participate
- All designs must be submitted via traditional mail or delivered to a drop off location
Guidance on Flag Design
Fundamental and generally accepted principles underlie effective flag design (vexillography), supported by observation, experience, and empirical analysis. However, any discussion about what makes a good design is strongly influenced by individual tastes, color preferences, and a sense of proportion and balance. Not all people will like the same thing and many flags may not meet the generally accepted principles of good design, but still inspire the people they represent.
Good Flag, Bad Flag – This 16-page booklet, compiled from the expert input of over 20 different vexillologists world-wide, has become a classic resource for flag design.
What Makes A Good Flag Design? – A group of vexillologists discuss this question on Flags of the World (FOTW).
“Why city flags may be the worst designed thing you’ve never noticed” – The Roman Mars TED Talk presentation on flag design, seen over 7 million times, has inspired hundreds of flag re-design efforts. (18 mins.)
“American city flag redesign: a welcome change” – A 2017 analysis of 70+ U.S. city flag redesign efforts, presented at the 27th International Congress of Vexillology.
“Lessons from American City Flag Redesign Efforts” – 12 key concepts derived from studying the experience of over 100 cities.
Top 25 New City Flags–Process Summary – A summary compilation of the processes followed by the cities whose flag designs rated most highly in NAVA’s 2022 survey.
Modern Flag Design – An Expansion of Good Flag, Bad Flag by Martin Joubert with the advice of Ted Kaye.
Design Moderno de Bandeiras – A Portuguese translation of Modern Flag Design by Raphael Mieux.
Editorials on Flag Design – A collection of essays by Ted Kaye, published in the Vexilloid Tabloid newsletter of the Portland Flag Association.
Participating in Flag Committees – Some interesting insights on good flag design, from Flags of the World (FOTW).
“Doing pennants: How to fix an ugly flag” – An essay from ideas.TED.com on the opportunities and challenges of improving flag designs.
Flag Maker – This fun little app from Scholastic was designed to help kids create their very own flags, but it’s also fun for anyone wanting to experiment with flag design.
“The Guiding Principles of Flag Design” – A collaboration on flag design by NAVA and the UK’s Flag Institute.
“7 Fantastic Flags That Break Every Design Rule” – A Roman Mars presentation on flag designs that break the design rules.
Municipal Flag Design Preferences of United States Residents – A study by Toby Nelson, funded in part by NAVA and published in the Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing.
New Flags for the States (David Phillips, 1984) – A comprehensive set of proposals for redesigned U.S. state flags, with explanations of their context and history.
A special thanks to the North American Vexillological Association for these references.
Participant Guidelines
- Submission dates: August 8 – September 16, 2024
- All designs must be submitted via traditional mail or delivered to one of the drop-off locations.
- Mail
Apopka City Hall, Attn: Flag Contest, 120 E. Main Street, Apopka, FL 32703 - Apopka Serves Foundation, Attn Flag Contest, 10 N. Park Avenue, Box B, Apopka, FL 32703
- Drop-Off Locations
– Apopka City Hall
– Propagate Social House
– Apopka Serves Foundation tent at the Market on 5th St (Friday’s 6-9p)
- Mail
- Design must be created on 3×5 note card or the entry form above.
- Entries must include contact information: name, address, phone number, email and a paragraph (150 words or less) explaining symbolism in the flag
- Entries must be hand-drawn and use solid colors. No graduated colors or digital art will be accepted.
- All entries will be judged based on the North American Vexillological Association’s 5 principles of good design
- 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.
- Try to use 2-3 basic colors: Attempt to 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.
- Individuals can submit up to 3 different entries per person
- Everyone is encouraged to submit
Legal Disclaimer: Entries that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered. All entries become property of the City of Apopka and the author/creator relinquishes all rights to the design and entries are subject to disclosure under Florida’s Public Records laws. The Flag Design Committee reserves the right to alter, modify, or combine designs to create an official City of Apopka flag. Submissions by members of the Flag Design Review Committee will not be considered.
Voting
- After submissions are received, the Flag Design Review Committee will participate in an extensive review/selection session to identify the top designs; then:
- Public voting will be available online September 18 – October 4, 2024 at happybirthdayapopka.com/flag-contest
- Everyone is encouraged to vote
- Individuals can vote only once
Coming Soon