Brian Cham is a vexillologist (flag expert). 🏴

Experience and achievements 💪

• 🎖️ Served as expert flag design consultant for multiple US state flags (Utah, Minnesota, Maine, Illinois, Massachusetts) and countless cities. For Minnesota, Brian made critical design developments to the finalist designs with local collaborators, and was the first to conceive the specific design variation that is now the official state flag of Minnesota. Won NAVA’s Vexillonnaire Award (the Oscar of vexillology) for his contributions.
• 🗣️ Spoken internationally about flag design and the flags of Aotearoa New Zealand, including influential articles on the 2016 national flag referendum (interviewed key insiders including the former Prime Minister) and the Tino Rangatiratanga flag (Māori flag)(interviewed its last living co-designer).
• 🎙️ Interviewed by international media about flags.
• 👨🏻‍💼 Chaired several official flag design committees: NAVA 58, 59 and 60 annual conference flags, and Boca Raton, Florida.
• 💪🏻 Serving as NAVA’s YouTube Coordinator (curating our rich library of video content) and Flag Design Forum Coordinator (uniting design enthusiasts to help improve real flag projects). Also a member of UK’s Flag Institute and the New Zealand Flag Association.
• 🤩 Brian’s flag redesigns have been well-received, with some winning public polls, featured in media or flown by fans.

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Testimonials 📢

Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State: “Brian was a key expert contributor to Minnesota’s State Emblems Redesign Commission process in 2023. Brian’s public testimony to the Commission was essential in ensuring that we incorporated best practices in designing Minnesota’s new state flag. As other states look to initiating the flag redesign process, I encourage the groups tasked with designing new state flags to engage with Brian and other members of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA).”

Ted Kaye, Secretary of NAVA: “I have watched Brian’s work first-hand, marveling at his skill in flag design and talents with graphics software. He and I have partnered in supporting several successful city and state flag-redesign initiatives.” … [read more]

Leigh Wetherall, CEO of Flag Institute: “I’m very pleased to recommend Brian Cham, whose contributions to vexillology have been insightful, well-researched, and deeply engaging. Over the past few years, Brian has become a distinctive voice in flag studies, combining cultural awareness with academic precision.” … [read more]

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Flag articles/presentations 📝

• The Spinoff – Insiders look back on the failed attempt to change New Zealand’s flag, 10 years on (interviewed key insiders including former Prime Minister)
• Reuters – Fact Check: Minnesota flag redesign inspired by state-specific symbols (interviewed by outlet)
• Toronto Star – Losers of the Pennant Race (interviewed by outlet)
• NAVA 55 – The Six Little-Known Deal-Breakers of Bad Flag Design (honorable mention for Captain William Driver Award)
• NAVA 58 – The Star-Spangled Angle: Minnesota’s Flag Design Process From the Inside
• NAVA 58 – Unravelling the Tino Rangatiratanga Flag (Māori Flag) Through the Eyes of its Designer
• Personal – The 7 most popular New Zealand flag proposals (according to the public)
• Personal – Top 50 New Zealand flag proposals (according to me)

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Flag design proposals 🎨

Most popular flag design proposals:

All flag design proposals:

• Angola
• Aotearoa New Zealand
• Autism acceptance
• Australia
• Chad
• Cyprus
• Earth
• East African Federation
• Fiji
• Galveston, Texas
• Hong Kong
• Idaho
• Island of Ireland
• Long Beach, California
• Louisiana
• Mars
• Massachusetts (2009)
• Massachusetts (2022)
• Michigan
• Mozambique
• New Caledonia
• New Hampshire
• New Zealand (see Aotearoa New Zealand above)
• Taiwan
• Transnistria
• Union State
• United Kingdom
• Utah (2009)
• Utah (2022)

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External links 🔗