09-30-20

The best experimental design projects of 2020

See all the honorees of Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards in the Experimental category.

By Fast Company1 minute Read

Winner

[Photo: courtesy MIT]

Illusory Material: 3D Printed Optical Textiles
Jiani Zeng, Honghao Deng, and MIT
A method for designing and 3D printing objects with dynamic color, texture, and reflectivity

Finalists

[Photo: courtesy University of Chicago]

Bracelet of Silence
University of Chicago, Department of Computer Science

[Photo: Adidas]

Futurecraft.Loop Generation 2
Adidas

[Photo: courtesy Matternet]

Matternet Station
Matternet

[Photo: courtesy Institute for Computational Design and Construction]

Self-Shaping Wood—the Urbach Tower
Institute for Computational Design and Construction

[Photo: MIT Media Lab]

Silk II
The Mediated Matter Group, MIT Media Lab

[Photo: MIT Media Lab]

Totems
MIT Media Lab, Mediated Matter Group

[Photo: MIT Media Lab]

Venous Materials
MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media Group

Honorable Mentions

[Image: courtesy Manyone]

The Aeroslider
Manyone

[Photo: Philips]

AR UI for the Azurion Interventional Room
Philips Experience Design and Microsoft

[Photo: Brendan Austin/courtesy Space10]

Bee Home
Space10

[Photo: Mirrored Media]

BMW IconicSounds Electric
Mirrored Media

[Photo: Special Projects]

Envelope
Special Projects

[Photo: University of Auckland]

Lemo
Shi Yilei, Haimo Zhang, Suranga Nanayakkara, Augmented Human Lab, University of Auckland

[Photo: Marimekko]

Marimekko and Spinnova printed-clothing collaboration
Marimekko and Spinnova

[Image: HDR]

Regenerative Design Framework
HDR

[Photo: courtesy SOM]

Stereoform Slab
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

[Photo: Carnegie Mellon University]

SurfaceSight
Future Interfaces Group, Carnegie Mellon University

[Photo: Zoan]

Virtual Concert
Zoan

[Photo: Carnegie Mellon University]

WorldGaze
Future Interfaces Group, Carnegie Mellon University

Video

Impact

As the delta variant spreads, vaccine conspiracy groups on Facebook have doubled

The NFL shows there’s a lot to gain for sports leagues if they support athletes who come out

‘Green buildings’ conveniently ignore the emissions from their construction

News

I’m happy about the GOP vaccine pivot. I will never forgive how long it took

Want to go viral? Influencers won’t be much help if you’re trying to spread a complex idea

Muffin recall: Avoid these products sold at 7-Eleven, Walmart, elsewhere due to listeria fears

Co.Design

Opening Ceremony creative director is the latest Olympic official to be fired

How the Olympics ruin cities

What if our home electronics were made from fruit, not plastic?

Work Life

10 CEOs on the books they’re reading this summer

How to adapt your workplace habits to the era of hybrid work

The one thing young job seekers are forgetting when finding their first role