I previously made a proposed flag of Utah in 2009 but I wanted to revisit this with my new skills. These new designs were created in early 2021 with consultation with NAVA members as part of their Design Gauntlet. Thanks to everyone who gave feedback!

Update [2022-09-26]

I have just received word from the government of Utah that my flag designs are finalists for the official state flag redesign effort! I believe designs 2b and 2c are the ones being used, although they have made some adjustments.

The current design

The current flag scored a 3.47/10.00 in NAVA’s North American flag survey, which makes it the fifteenth worst flag in North America. In 2019, the Utah House voted to solicit potential flag designs to replace the current flag.

My proposals

Design 2a

First off, this design is simple enough to be remembered by a child, yet distinctive enough to be identified at a distance.

This design incorporates the blue field from the current Utah flag and a stylised beehive. The beehive is an established symbol of Utah’s togetherness and industry, featuring on the current Utah flag, the old Utah Territory flag, the official state emblem, the state highway marker and the unofficial state nickname (“The Beehive State”).

In the canton is the sego lily, the state flower, which is also featured on the flag of Salt Lake City. The stamen takes the form of a five-pointed star which has multiple meanings. It represents the five Native American tribes that originally inhabited Utah, it represents Utah’s status as a U.S. state and it represents the bright future that awaits Utah. This ties together the past, present and future of Utah in a timeless way.

The blue represents the wide sky, the white represents salt and the gold represents the warm sun. The colours are all present on the current flag, so any further symbolism they have can be carried over as well.

Vector files available on request.

Design 2b

First off, this design is simple enough to be remembered by a child, yet distinctive enough to be identified at a distance.

This design incorporates the blue field, golden circle and sego lily from the current Utah flag. The circle represents unity and frames the whole design.

In the centre is the sego lily, the state flower, which is also featured on the flag of Salt Lake City. The stamen takes the form of a five-pointed star which has multiple meanings. It represents the five Native American tribes that originally inhabited Utah, it represents Utah’s status as a U.S. state and it represents the bright future that awaits Utah. This ties together the past, present and future of Utah in a timeless way.

The blue represents the wide sky, the white represents salt and the gold represents the warm sun. The colours are all present on the current flag, so any further symbolism they have can be carried over as well.

Vector files available on request.

Design 2c

First off, this design is simple enough to be remembered by a child, yet distinctive enough to be identified at a distance. The circle represents unity and frames the whole design.

This design incorporates the blue field and golden circle from the current Utah flag and a stylised beehive. The beehive is an established symbol of Utah’s togetherness and industry, featuring on the current Utah flag, the old Utah Territory flag, the official state emblem, the state highway marker and the unofficial state nickname (“The Beehive State”).

The blue represents the wide sky, the white represents salt and the gold represents the warm sun. The colours are all present on the current flag, so any further symbolism they have can be carried over as well.

Vector files available on request.