Maakrindah

Maybe we should consider whether the Akaviri symbol for Dovah could be a decent recognizable symbol option.
May 7, 2015

I don't think that the Akaviri symbol would accurately represent the language, and on top of that we face copywrite issues in using it. So the only really recognizable symbol we could use is the dragon runes (in not-Bethesda's font).

paarthurnax

Something to note about flags is that they should be solid colors. Solid colors make a flag easy to recognize and reproduce. For example, the shape the dragonstone could be used as a background, but not the actual image.

This is a good point. But, at least at first, I didn't really mean for it to be a flag as much as an icon (like the two examples given in the first post). Perhaps we could come up with both flag and icon?

 I think both would be a great idea. I would put a Dovahzul flag up on my house (Once I'm more well versed in the language. And the separate icon would be really cool, because icons do not serve the same function as flags, (although flags can be used as icons).

I think a word wall icon is awesome.

@Everyone:

We should discuss and find out what colors would be appropriate for a flag. The icon looks great as it is, but colors and symbolism are traditionally important when it comes to flags. Maakrindah
May 7, 2015

Maakrindah

We should discuss and find out what colors would be appropriate for a flag. The icon looks great as it is, but colors and symbolism are traditionally important when it comes to flags.
May 7, 2015

It has been said in early discussion that it should stick with the greyish theme of Skyrim, and paarthurnax suggested "silver on black or silver on dark gray", which could look nice. I'm working on some concepts (and still using my wall! mwahaha!), and I'll post them in a bit.

Done! I updated the wall icon to try to make it appear more concave by indicating the top:

And made a glowy version of it:

As for the flag, I thought that we could add a simple gradient behind it. This was my first attempt:

Not too great. But I tried the dark grey & silver approach (as well as I could in leu of my colour-blindness):

^The wall is too low, but you get the idea. Here's the same thing with a glowy rune:

What do you guys think? I think it could have "lok bo / thuum tuum" on it, like the banners in High Hrothgar.

@hiith I love it !! The new definition curve at the top does a lot to make it look like a word wall.

Perhaps the flag background (Behind the wall) could be light silver or sky blue, or a combination thereof, at the top fading to medium dark gray in the middle (at the horizon line) which fades to black at the bottom (foreground).

The wall could be a medium gray (pretty much like it is), the Rune(s) on it could be black with a silver and/or sky blue glow. Or maybe silvery sky blue runes with black outline like engraving and less intense silvery blue glow than the runes themselves on the outside of the black engraving lines. Just a few thoughts. Let me know what you think.

I am very much in favor of "Lok Bo Thu'um Tu'um" having a presence on the flag.

@hiith, I like the first picture a lot.

I also like the idea of the light blue - white flag background. It gives the sense of a Word Wall standing on a mountaintop. However, I think it should be solid colors rather than a gradient, like so.

Here's some experimentation with the mountaintop idea.

@paarthurnax I do really like the first image of your experimentations. To me it has a clear representation of 'where the earth meets the sky', or the Throat of the World, which is wildly appropriate. Awesome.

@paarthurnax

The idea of it being on the horizon is what I was going for, but I believe that the gradient is neccesary to show it because otherwise, it just looks like colours. And the mountain-top designs might be confused as just geometric shapes. That's just my thoughts, though.

I'd also like to point out that the glowing wall might look darker than the non-glowy wall, but they're actually the same exact colour. It's just an illusion!

What do you guys think of doing the Word Wall from Hiith as the Icon and the first experiment flag above from Paarthurnax? I think that would be awesome. I would not mind designing a Dragonstone-based Coat of Arms, but I think a flag and an icon would be enough.

@Maakrindah I thought that the Icon should be of what's on the flag, i. e. If we use the wall icon, then the flag has the wall icon, but if we use the mountain flag, we use the mountain as an icon. And paarthurnax's first mountain-flag is the worst in regards to clearly being a mountain and not ordinary flag geometrics.

@paarthurnax The first of your experimental flags above has room at the top for gray "Lok Bo" and room at the bottom for a blue "Thu'um Tu'um". If integrating the language into the flag is okay, then having words on the flag may be optimal since it's a flag for a language and its community. What do you think? Having 'Sky above' in the represented sky and 'Voice within' within the mountain, just seems right...

hiith

@Maakrindah I thought that the Icon should be of what's on the flag, i. e. If we use the wall icon, then the flag has the wall icon, but if we use the mountain flag, we use the mountain as an icon. And paarthurnax's first mountain-flag is the worst in regards to clearly being a mountain and not ordinary flag geometrics.

Part of the point of the design is that it is both mountain and flag. It doesn't have to be one or the other. I think the second two flags do a better job of illustrating the concept. It's just experimentation, too, so I'm not really adamant about this particular direction.

paarthurnax

Part of the point of the design is that it is both mountain and flag. It doesn't have to be one or the other. I think the second two flags do a better job of illustrating the concept. It's just experimentation, too, so I'm not really adamant about this particular direction.

Hm, perhaps I got cought up in my vision for it. I wanted it to be clear design that has recognizable objects, like the conlang flag, which is clearly a tower (of Babel, but that's not important):

EDIT: This gives me an idea...

@hiith, that's a good point, the conlang flag is a great example and something we would strive for. It has a definitive shape and solid, appealing colors.

Unrelated, here's something quick thrown together based on Maakrindah's suggestion:

It's cool, but maybe not what we're looking for.