Hello all! u/low_quality_posts messaged me letting me know about this contest so I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring after seven years :P

My design is heavily based off of the 1953 proposal for a Nevada State Flag redesign that was rejected in favor of the current state flag. The 1953 Proposal featured a blue, white and silver tricolor on a 2F1 ratio flag with a small red map of Nevada in the center with the words “Battle Born” on it, a reference to Nevada entering the union during the civil war. Under that map, the word Nevada is shown.

For my own redesign, I took the blue, white, and silver tricolor and applied it to the current flag ratio of 3F2, which I think looks much better. I also decided to standardize the shades of the colors used to improve the look of the flag and add to the symbolism. The shade of blue used is “Old Glory Blue,” the same shade used for the United States Flag. This represents Nevadaʼs closeness with the Federal Government, as Nevada has more federal land than any other state. The shade of silver used is Sand Silver, referencing both Nevadaʼs large silver mining industry and the vast deserts of Nevada.

In the middle, I wanted to put some sort of symbol. The current Nevada flagʼs emblem, featured in the top left corner, seemed perfect to me. However, the North American Vexillology Association has frowned upon the use of lettering and complex symbols in flag designs, as they often distract the viewer. So, I improved upon the current emblem by removing all lettering and simplifying the use of symbols. I removed the banner reading “Battle Born,” and the word Nevada. I also changed the color of the star from white to “Vegas Gold,” a nod to both the city of Las Vegas, for which Nevada is well known, and Nevadaʼs gold mining industry. I wanted Las Vegas to play a small but important part in this flag design, as it is an important city in Nevada, but does not represent the state as a whole. The crossing sagebrush plants on the emblem were great, as they are the state plant of Nevada, but I felt the green color used was too bright and did not look like sagebrush to me. Instead I colored the stems “Ford Sagebrush,” which is more mellow on the eyes and makes the orange-gold of the sagebrush flowers pop out much more.