Why all new flags look the same

# Summary A 2006 design pamphlet by Ted Kaye outlining principles for good flag design—simplicity, meaningful symbolism, limited colors, no lettering or seals—gained massive influence after radio host Roman Mars built a viral 2015 TED talk around it, sparking a movement to redesign American city flags deemed poorly designed. Milwaukee became the focus of this campaign, and though the city held a design contest in 2016 that produced "Sunrise Over the Lake," it was never officially adopted; the new design instead spread organically on merchandise while the original chaotic 1954 flag remained official, highlighting how the vexillology movement's standardized design principles have ironically resulted in flags that look increasingly similar to one another.