My wife and I live in North Carolina but have a summer home in New Hampshire. So, twice yearly, we make a pilgrimmage from one to the other.
It’s a pretty, but rather boring ride. So, one thing we like
to do to make it a little more interesting is to see how many different state
license plates we can spot. We’ve never quite reached forty.
One thing this game has helped me develop is an appreciation
for the different plate designs out there. So, what I thought I’d do is call
out some of my faves – and least faves – for all 50 states.
Now, I must admit, this is not as easy as it sounds. There
are so many different designs out there now. To narrow it down a little, I
looked only at the current design, at least according to
worldlicenseplates.com.
The bad ones are, of course, the most fun. So, let’s start
with those.
Most Disappointing – Wyoming
Wyoming has two absolutely killer state symbols. The first is the cowboy on a bucking bronco. It dates back to1918, has been used on the license plate since 1936, and is featured by the Univ. of Wyoming as well.
The second is the outline of a bison, which features
prominently on their state flag:
Of course, the current license plate is simply trying to use
both. In theory, it’s not a bad idea. In practice, though, it’s just too much,
and is simply trying too hard. One or the other would have been fine.
Compounding the issue is how they’ve rendered the bison.
Once again, the grey on black is a legitimate attempt to create a background.
To me, though, it just muddies the whole thing up.
Just stick with the cowboy, Wyoming.
Chattiest – Washington DC
I get it. There are almost 700,000 people in DC, none of
whom get a vote in the US Congress. Wyoming and Vermont both have fewer people,
but get 4 senators and 2 representatives between them. It just ain’t right.
That said, this is almost 40 letters. It’s a short novel!
Interestingly, it was once a little shorter.
I guess some genius thought that this could have been
misconstrued as being in favor of taxation without representation.
Before they got all political, DC had previous mottos with
innocuous things like “Celebrate and Discover,” “A Capital City,” and
“Nation’s Capital.” If they can’t come up with something a little more punchy
for their current motto, I suggest going back to one of these.
The rest of the design is nice and clean. I also like the
little symbol in the middle. It’s from the flag, which is in turn from the coat
of arms of George Washington.
I’m sure George agrees with the sentiment. I can’t imagine
even he, though, would approve of the prolixity.
Oddest Motto – Idaho
Just think if other states had gone with this theme. For Georgia,
perhaps, you’d have “Famous Peaches.” For Maryland, “Famous Crabs.” Maine? How
about “Famous Lobstahs”?
Idaho does, in fact, grow a lot of potatoes. They’re number
one in the country, and produce about 140M hundredweight per year. According to
Google, the state has “perfect growing conditions: mineral-rich volcanic soil,
pure mountain-fed water, and a high-desert climate with warm, sunny days and
cool nights.”
I kind of like the rest of the design though. It’s a
landscape (as are many these days), but done in a nice, subtle way. I also like
the red, white, and blue combo. I’m not sure what other states do that.
That design goes all the way back to 1991. Before that, it
was pretty much just “Famous Potatoes.”
Most Obscure
What the heck is it? Is that a lightning bolt over there on
the left? Maybe a farm right under it? Some clouds? I tell ya, ya got me.
The light grey on white isn’t helping here. You’re gonna
need a little more color contrast to pick this all out. But that would probably
make the actual license plate number a challenge to read. Perhaps if the
background just wasn’t so complex.
Leaving aside what exactly is going on here, the plate is
actually very elegant. It certainly beats previous efforts, which range from
way too basic:
To positively garish:
So, what the heck is that thing anyway? It’s actually
supposed to represent the “Genius of Creative Energy,” from the State Capitol
building.
Now, all by itself, that is kinda cool (though a tad
obscure). As a background for a license plate? Not so much. Hey, how about some
corn?
Busiest - Illinois
Well, at least I can make out what’s what here. Let’s see …
Looks like we’ve got Lincoln, and the state capitol, and the Chicago skyline.
Is that a farm in the middle? And do I spot a kitchen sink?
Seeing as we’ve already got Lincoln in the motto, perhaps we
could nix ol’ Honest Abe from the design. That still leaves us with an
imaginary skyline that features 2 cities and rural farmland as well.
An older design, though with its own issues, at least kept
it to just Abe.
Most Boring – Delaware
There was a time when every license plate looked like this.
Most states, however, moved on. Not Delaware though. Yup,
things are a little slow in the ol’ First State.
Now, would you believe Delaware offers their drivers an even
more boring alternative? Yup, this one is made of porcelain or stainless steel
and replicates a design from 1942.
Ever wonder why Delaware’s the ”first state”? Simple – it
was the first state to ratify the Constitution.
So, whence all the bad? Well, a lot of these are designed by
committee – in particular, by a committee of politicians. So, no graphic design
skills required. Instead, substitute special interests, an inability to make
decisions, no decisive leadership, and trying to make everyone happy. Et
voila!
That said, there is still some hope. Let’s take a look at
the best the country has to offer.
Nicest Lettering - California
Typography tends to play next to no role in license plate
design. If you can get some state to consider a serif font and mixed case,
you’re really on the cutting edge. Throw in some italics, and you’re definitely
blowing some minds out there.
And then along comes California. First, the design is pretty
much all about the typography. There’s no state symbols – no peaches, no
oranges, no Lincolns, no bison, no skylines, no scenic vistas …
Second, the typography conveys an incredible amount. Just
based on the typography alone, the Golden State appears to be a fun, informal, modern,
and exciting place.
Oddly, the type face is actually called “Rage Italic.” Not
sure where that came from.
Interestingly, two states have also attempted something
similar. One, though, is totally lost in the busy background:
The other seems to be almost an exact copy of California’s,
but utterly fails in saying anything about the state.
Prettiest - Mississippi
Speaking of typography …
That “Mississippi” at the top is certainly unique, and very decorative
to boot. Would you believe, though, that it’s been around since 1981?
Add that to the very nice magnolia blossom in the middle,
and you have a design that’s rather elegant, almost feminine. Interestingly,
that blossom has been around even longer, dating back to 1977. Those previous
designs, though, were rather weak:
Most Classic - Wyoming
It’s a pretty basic idea. Is your state long and narrow?
Well, why not incorporate it in what is basically the long and narrow shape of
a license plate? Tennessee, Nebraska, and Kansas have all done something
similar.
Montana, though, actually started doing this all the way
back in 1933:
Now, that simple, basic idea did get a little obscured over
the years:
The only beef I have with the current plate is the motto. Who
ever heard of that? “Big Sky Country” is much more well known, and fitting.
Coolest - South Dakota
Yeah, I’ve already dinged this one, for the state name being
very hard to pick out. That said, maybe Mt. Rushmore is enough to let you know.
Perhaps if they got rid of the motto and made the state name a little bigger … It’s actually pretty lame (“Great Faces,
Great Places”), so why not?
Also, this design is so distinctive, it’s really hard to
take away from the overall effect. I don’t think any other state even tried
something like this. Everything else is just simple illustrations, at best.
In fact, I’m not sure there are any other state icons that
would lend themselves so well to this approach. Remember, it’s gonna have to be
horizontal, simple, and iconic.
By the way, it was a long and winding road to get here.
Previous attempts were no way near as successful:
