vex·il·lol·o·gist | /ˌveksəˈläləjist/ | noun

Flag expert. (flag nerd.)

  1. A person who studies the history, symbolism, and design of flags.
  2. The expert journalists call when flags make headlines. See: Michael Green.
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As seen in
Reader's Digest
The New York Times
The Washington Post
PBS
TED
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Ad Age
About

Most just call him
a "flag nerd."
or a "vexillologist," if you want to be fancy about it.

Michael Green is a published vexillologist, the Technical Editor of The Complete Guide to Flags of the World, 4th Edition, and a two-time TEDx speaker. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, PBS documentaries, and Encyclopædia Britannica.

He started Flags For Good out of his spare bedroom with two goals: to only make flags he believed in and donate a portion of each to relevant causes. Since then, Flags For Good has donated over $400,000 to world-changing organizations, hired some amazing people, opened a flagship store & HQ, and now serves as the Official Flag Supplier to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

📚
Technical Editor of 'Flags of the World, 4th Ed.'
Fox Chapel Publishing · The definitive global flag reference
🏴‍☠️
Founder & CEO of Flags For Good
Indy-based flag company
🎤
Public Speaker
TEDx, Creative Mornings, Podcasts
🏁
Official Flag Supplier of Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Bringing biodegradable flags to motorsport
🎥
SAG-AFTRA Member
Cleared for professional on-camera productions
Michael Green looking at Denmark flags
Michael Green with a Swiss flag
Michael Green, vexillologist
Why flags matter

"Flags are the simplest form of design, but somehow they evoke the deepest emotions within us."

— Michael Green, TEDxTAMU

Speaking & Talks

Flags draw crowds and spark conversation.

Recent Press & Media

Flags make the news
more than you'd think.

State flag redesigns, Supreme Court controversies, neighborhood flag feuds. When journalists need someone who knows the history, the principles, and the politics, they reach out.

"This Is the Rarest Color for National Flags"
Reader's Digest
July 2026
"How to design a new state flag" (video)
Encyclopaedia Britanica
October 2024
"Flag drama is not just for the Supreme Court"
The Washington Post
June 2024
"What Kind of Flag Can I Fly Outside My House?"
The New York Times
April 2021
"Why Do Diferent Countries Have Different Flags?" (audio)
'Moment of Um' Children's Podcast
February 2024
"Downing of a Flag" Documentary
PBS
July 2021
"The phrase 'Black Lives Matter' is now a common sight. Is it a sign?"
The Washington Post
June 2021
"What Do Gadsden Flags and Pride Flags Have in Common?"
Reason
May 2023
"Twitch Influencers Ruined r/place For Everyone"
Vice - Motherboard
April 2022
📺 Available for Media

Need a flag expert
on camera?

TV segments, documentaries, podcasts. Michael explains the history and politics of almost any flag in plain language, on deadline. He has done it for PBS, Britannica, and local news stations across the country.

Get in Touch → Bio, headshots, and press kit →
Flag Explainer Series

Watch the work.

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Podcast Guest

Booking a flag expert for your show?

Clear, quotable, and genuinely fun on the history and politics of flags. Remote or in studio, usually booked the same week.

Michael Green being interviewed
What Michael talks about
There are five rules for designing a good flag. Most US states break all of them. Name any state, city, or country and Michael will rank it live.
Mississippi, Minnesota, Utah, Illinois, South Dakota. Why some redesigns pass and others fall apart, and why it is almost never about the design.
HOA fights, Pride flags, Gadsden flags, and the Supreme Court. Michael has covered this for the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Antarctica, Mars, the Moon, the Olympics. Who has the authority to invent a symbol, and what happens when nobody does.
Field research, collected flags, and the stories behind them. The loose, conversational one.
Michael Green on the Get IN. with Nate Spangle podcast Guest
Get IN. with Nate Spangle
He Quit His Dream Job After 9 Months, Then This Took Off
Ep. 277  ·  Apr 2026  ·  1h 37m
Moment of Um podcast artwork Guest
Moment of Um  ·  APM
Why Do Different Countries Have Different Flags?
American Public Media  ·  Feb 2024
My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast artwork Guest
My Modern Met  ·  Top Artist
True South Team on the First Flag for Antarctica and the Power of Design
Top Artist Podcast  ·  Jan 2022
Flagged for Content podcast artwork Guest
Flagged for Content
Bonus: The ICV 31 Roundtable
Presented by Flags For Good  ·  Jul 2026
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For Producers and Bookers

Responses usually come in the same day. Remote-ready with broadcast audio, and he travels for the right conversation.

Member of
North American Vexillological Association (NAVA) member
The Flag Institute (UK) member
Fast Company Executive Board 2026 Member
Field Research

Flags tell global stories,
and Michael has visited over 75 countries
learning and collecting along the way.

Vexillology isn't a desk job. The best flag research happens in the field, on poles, in markets, at protests, and at celebrations.

Published Work

In print & on record.

Technical Editor · 4th Edition
Fox Chapel Publishing

Consulting

Flag design consulting.

2:3 canton

Cities and organizations across the country are rethinking their flags. Michael has judged redesign efforts through his work with NAVA and knows where most processes go wrong. Good public input doesn't automatically produce good design. Bridging that gap takes someone who understands both vexillological principles and how communities make decisions.

He has lectured at Duke University and Texas A&M's Mays Business School on the overlap between flag design and civic identity. He brings that same framework to consulting work.

Municipal & city flag design review
State flag redesign consultation
Sports team & organizational flags
Vexillological standards & principles guidance
Advising community redesign processes
Custom flag commissions via Flags For Good
Start a Conversation →
Flag design

5 Principles of
Good Flag Design.

From the North American Vexillological Association's 'Good Flag, Bad Flag,' the framework every good flag is built on.

01
Keep it simple
Simple enough that a child can draw it from memory.
02
Use meaningful symbolism
Colors and imagery should relate to what the flag represents.
03
Use 2–3 basic colors
High contrast, from the standard heraldic color set.
04
No lettering or seals
Never use writing or an organizational seal...they don't scale.
05
Be distinctive
Recognizable at a glance. Use similarity only to show connection.
Michael Green personal swallowtail flag
Questions

Frequently asked.

Flags are the simplest designs that carry the most complex emotions. They can unite a country or start a war. Michael got into them as a graphic designer who realized that a small piece of colored cloth is one of the most powerful pieces of communication a community can make, and most people treat them as afterthoughts. Someone has to take them seriously.
A good flag design is identifiable at a distance as well as a small emoji. It's simple enough to draw from memory, meaningful enough to be worth drawing, and distinct enough that you know immediately what it represents. Most flags fail at least one of those tests. The best ones, like Indianapolis, Chicago, and New Mexico, pass all three.
A vexillologist studies flags: their history, symbolism, design, and cultural use. Coined by Whitney Smith (the father of Vexillology) and derived from the Latin root "Vexillum" (flag) and "ology"(the study of). Vexillography is the art of designing flags. Michael is both. He researches and writes about flags, as well as designing and producing them through Flags For Good.
Before Roger Gohl passed away, he entrusted Michael with the original artwork for the Indianapolis city flag. It is one of the most meaningful things he owns. Roger was a reminder that behind every flag is a person who made choices, and those choices echo for decades. That is why this work matters to him.
Quickly. He can join via Zoom within hours. Indianapolis also has excellent broadcast studios available for hire, including green screen setups. Typically available within 24 to 48 hours.
Yes, and often. Michael is a published vexillologist and a two-time TEDx speaker, and he has been the flag expert for the New York Times, the Washington Post, PBS, and Britannica. He records remote or in studio, travels for the right conversation, and answers booking requests personally, usually the same day.
Flag design and why most state flags break every rule of it, the recent wave of American flag redesigns, what people are legally allowed to fly outside their homes, how flags get invented for places with no government, and stories from 75 countries of collecting them. He will also rank any flag you name, live, which tends to be the part listeners remember.
Michael has a home studio built for TV and podcast interviews, with broadcast-quality microphones and a hardwired connection. He can record locally and send you a clean track, and he is happy to work on whatever platform your show already uses.
Contact

Let's talk flags.

Producing a segment, planning a speaking engagement, or thinking about redesigning your city's flag? Responses usually come in the same day.

Media appearances Speaking Flag consulting Partnerships