Flags may be the most underrated and yet the most powerful pieces of design. They can invoke feelings of pride, anger, or fear; we will die for them, or even kill for them. By examining how we feel about these everyday symbols, we can realize the immense power held inside simple pieces of colored cloth. Only then can we attempt to harness the power of flags to inspire us, not to further divide ourselves, but to unite us as a planet and as a species.

Michael is passionate about telling stories in innovative, immersive and disruptive ways. He holds a degree in Visualization from Texas A&M and has since worked in various roles around the university promoting the adoption of new technology and well-designed brand experiences.

He was part of the team who retooled admissions marketing into what is now “Aggiebound”, was Sr. Graphic Designer helping manage the visual A&M brand, and now as Emerging & Interactive Media, does whatever crazy ideas he can get away with. Recently, that has meant traveling the world filming 360-degree videos of extraordinary Aggies impacting the globe.

On the quest to step foot in 100 countries, Michael collects flags as he travels and is a published vexillologist (flag researcher). He writes a blog on flag design titled Branding the Nations and speaks on the topic of flag design and personal identity. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx