In 2013, we put out a call to the design and business communities: What are the best design-driven innovations of the past year? We received more than 1,200 submissions from big corporations, small shops, and students from around the world.
Here are the 2013 finalists and winner in the Interactive category, which we’ve renamed Apps to emphasize commercialized products over experimental projects. They should give you a good sense of what the judges will be looking for in this year’s competition.
Finalists
1 Second Every Day
A video notebook to record one second, every day, for a year
Connected China
An app that visualizes China’s elite people and organizations
Facebook Home
The social network’s mobile experience, with friends–not apps–at the forefront
Google Now
The personal-assistant app that knows where you are, where you’re going, and what you want to eat
Mailbox
The email app for taming your inbox
Paper
The iPad app for sketches, diagrams, and illustrations
Winner
Google Maps for iPhone
A clean, predictive app that saved iOS 6 users from Apple’s ill-made maps