Reimagining the rainbow for PRI’s Studio 360
Current pride flag and new flag designs by Nina Mettler (middle) and Tom Koken (right).
The rainbow flag was designed in 1978 for a gay parade in San Francisco and over the last 30 years it has become the global symbol for gay pride. If the flag were designed in 2009, how would it look? Kurt Andersen of Studio 360 invited Worldstudio (as well as listeners) to come up with a 21st-century pride flag.
Studio 360 recorded the entire design process from a brainstorming session to interviewing people on the street to the final design presentation for their weekly radio show. Click below to listen to Kurt Andersen interview Mark Randall as they discuss the project and new flag designs, from modifications on the existing rainbow to DIY concepts.
See a slideshow of Worldstudio’s flag concepts or download the full PDF presentation. Over 3,000 people voted online for their favorite new pride flag design. The white flag with gradient rainbow ring was the clear winner. Isaac Mizrahi chose the winning listener submission, an American flag with only six stars representing the states that currently allow gay marriage.
The flag redesign project was written about on The Daily Heller, Core77 and in Design Week magazine. While there has been some criticism about trying to replace a historic symbol of the gay community, almost all recognize the exercise as valuable and relevant to reflect on culture and the progress of the gay movement.
For more information on this project and Worldstudio, contact Andréa Pellegrino.
Mark and Kurt talk about the flag project at a live taping of WNYC's Brian Lehrer show.
Tags: Brian Lehrer, Core77, Daily Heller, Design Week, gay flag, Isaac Mizrahi, Kurt Andersen, Mark Randall, Nina Mettler, pride flag, rainbow flag, Studio 360, Tom Koken, Worldstudio