Who created crests and banners in medieval Europe?

by breytont

I'm curious about the design process for royal crests and banners in medieval Europe. Was there a standard set by lords for their family crests? Who did they hire for this job? Was there a person who created a standard so that the design was consistent? Is there documentation for this sort of thing? I'm sorry if this isn't specific enough on the exact region and year.

grantimatter

You might get a more detailed answer - on the design process at least - at /r/heraldry/ . (EDIT to add: Though I'm really not sure about the May arms they've got up in the sidebar....)