Web tool lets public determine New Zealand flag
massey-university
Wed Jun 17 2015 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Web tool lets public determine New Zealand flag
Wednesday, 17 June 2015, 10:50 am
Press Release: Massey University
Web tool lets public determine New Zealand flag
A School of Design master’s student is challenging the flag selection process by devising a web tool that allows the public to feed their views back in a way, he says, the current government process does not.
Thomas Le Bas describes his web tool Flagpost, as a space for people to have their say about the 3500 New Zealand flag design submissions before the four design finalists are chosen. More designs are expected before the July 16 deadline.
“Currently the public has very little meaningful input into which four flags they will get to vote on,” Mr Le Bas says. They have no options to interact with the design submissions in any way.”
The 12-member flag consideration panel has been tasked by September with choosing four alternative options based on all those submitted by the public, and based on New Zealanders thoughts on what they believe the flag stands for or represents.
The four options will then be voted on at a referendum in November-December, with the highest-ranked design then put alongside the existing flag for a final public vote in March 2016.
“How can 12 people fairly determine the four flags without taking into account the public’s perceptions?” Mr Le Bas wonders.
He sees Flagpost as a tool for people to match their values with flag design submissions - something that is not possible in the official process.
Flagpost uses tags to help the public determine what a flag design represents to them, (whether it be about issues as varied as history, unity or multiculturalism) and provide feedback. It also lets them explore like-minded designs already submitted, and vote for their preferences.
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“We want people’s use of the platform to influence the decision and for it to become a hub of open, informative and inclusive debate over flag submissions,” Mr Le Bas says.
Flagpost is a collaboration with Springload, a New Zealand web design and user experience agency, and was devised through the Design and Democracy Project at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts. This is the same partnership that developed On the Fence, a web tool to help make the voting process easier to navigate for first-time voters in the 2014 General Election.
“These insights will better inform the flag consideration process, and we will encourage the Flag Consideration Panel to use the public’s responses through Flagpost to help determine the shortlist of flag designs,” Mr Le Bas says.
Design and Democracy Project project leader, lecturer Karl Kane, says the Flagpost project is a more inclusive way of addressing the flag selection debate. It shows that the emerging generation of designers are committed to creatively making an authentic and meaningful difference too, he says.
ENDS
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