Region: Midwest
Emblem:
Cursive lower-case "il".
Illinois's state motto is "state sovereignty, national union"—come to think of it, not a bad motto for this design project! The new state emblem represents this attitude: the "I" and the bottom of the "L" feel visually united, though they are part of two separate characters.
Field:
Roundel on a plain field.
The field references the current state flag, which is the circular state seal on a plain field.