If Earth had a flag, what would it look like?

It's a question that Oskar Pernefeldt from the Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm, Sweden has attempted to answer with his graduation project entitled The International Flag of Planet Earth.

The designer has created a striking flag of interlinked white circles on a deep blue background in an attempt to represent Earth during interplanetary journeys.

"Current expeditions in outer space use different national flags depending on which country is funding the voyage," his site says. "The space travelers, however, are more than just representatives of their own countries. They are representatives of planet Earth."

It might look like a simple design but a lot of thought has gone into the process. The linked rings represent how everything is connected to everything else on Earth, forming a flower as a group, while the deep blue is a nod towards life-giving water and the globe's nickname, the 'blue planet.' Its exact shade was chosen to contrast against the black of outer space and the white of space suits.

Pernefeldt's design isn't the first attempt to create a flag for the world, but it's a pretty thoughtful effort and could come in handy when we need to plant something on Mars. Here's how he thinks it could look in various scenarios.