“The fit of peak — and the need to vote”
This is an interesting article from Michael Symthe on Design Assembly with some useful answers to common questions about the process as well as his view on voting in the referendum.
Here’s the section on voting:
So how will you vote?
In the ‘Be part of history’ pamphlet delivered to every household the organisers have compounded their bias toward existing symbols by asking ‘What is uniquely kiwi to you? And identifies us as a nation?’ Nevertheless, being a responsible citizen who values the hard-won freedom to participate, I will exercise my democratic right.
It is essential to vote according to the rules of preferential voting. Not voting, or spoiling your vote is the same as voting for the most popular choices. Feel free to agree or disagree but this is how I plan to vote:
- Red Peak because it is the only simple, abstract, strong, flagish design on offer, it invites a range of positive interpretations and it will build meaning through association over time.
- Koru because it is simple, abstract and draws the eye (and an improved version that avoids the monkey tail look might emerge).
- Silver Fern (Black and White) because it honestly engages with the stealthily evolving Brand New Zealand programme which should have been openly discussed.
- Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) because it at least references black as a national colour and the All Black logo.
- Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue) at the bottom of the list because it is complex, cliché coloured and the most tea-towelish.
If Red Peak wins the first referendum I will vote for it in the second. If a Lockwood flag wins the first I will vote for the existing flag in the second and hope that Australia changes theirs.
I couldn’t agree more.
Ideally there would have been a different koru, a more abstract silver fern and no Kyle Lockwood flags, but this is what we’ve got and in my opinion a logical way of ranking the alternatives. It’s what I’ll be doing as well.