Designing a New Symbol for the South
The June murders of nine African Americans by a white supremacist in Charleston, South Carolina, led to a debate over the symbolism of the Confederate battle flag. Big retailers have stopped selling Confederate-flag-themed merchandise. National politicians across the political spectrum have called for the removal of the flag from public buildings. South Carolina’s state legislature decided to take their flag down permanently, and other states are following suit.
But how should the South be represented iconographically in the 21st century? Is there one symbol that could symbolize the region’s history without being hateful — one that all kinds of Southerners might want to put on bumper stickers and belt buckles?
We've decided to tackle this tricky and challenging problem as part of Studio 360's Redesigns series. For this project, we want to come up with a new visual iconography that celebrates Southern heritage without also celebrating white supremacy. And we’ve partnered with a Dallas design firm to take on that challenge. Gus Granger is the co-founder and head designer of 70KFT (and yes, Granger does consider Texas part of the South). He and his team will be dreaming up a new Southern symbol over the next month.
“It’s a strong, visually striking symbol,” Granger says of the Confederate flag’s graphic impact. “The original flag the Confederate army took into battle looked similar to the Union’s flag,” he explains, “so they needed something to be dramatically different. As a brand, it worked very well for their cause.”
We’ll follow up with Granger’s team in September, but in the meantime, we want to hear from you:
→ What do you think? Does the South need a new symbol? What should it be? Tell us in the comments below, or tweet @studio360show your idea for a #newicon.
