The University of Waikato

-- The New Zealand Flag Debate

What the flag for New Zealand will look like in the future has become the topic of much debate in the country, now the Prime Minister, John Key, has scheduled a binding referendum on the matter. Here at the University of Waikato's Centre for Open Source Innovation (COSI), we've put together a web-browser based tool that let's you try out your ideas for an alternative.

In the steps that follow you will be asked to:

• 1. Choose a width and height for your flag (not all flags in the world are the same size).
• 2. Select a colour palette to work from (modest sized with distinct colours recommended).
• 3. Interact with 2D paint application (primed with your previous choices) in which you develop your idea.
• 4. See your flag flying on top of the Beehive in a 3D simulation.

We've also added in a flag similarity feature, so you can check how similar your flag design is compared with other countries. After all, a key impetus for considering a replacement flag is that we want to stop people mixing us up with Australia, and we wouldn't want to end up with the same situation happening again with another country's flag!