Design Company of the Year
Newlab
A Brooklyn tech hub that has enabled entrepreneurs to develop solutions to urgent public-health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic
General Excellence
New York Times COVID-19 front pages The New York Times
A nontraditional front-page layout using graphics to spotlight the unprecedented scale and horror of the COVID-19 pandemic
Apps and Games
Within
A virtual-reality fitness app that transports users to far-flung corners of the earth, from the Galápagos’s Isabela Island to the ruins of Machu Picchu, to make exercising at home feel like a vacation
Cities
New Story 3D printed housing concept New Story, Icon, Fuseproject
A 3D-printed community for families in Latin America living on less than $200 a month
Data Design
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
A web platform that visualizes thousands of architectural design options, empowering clients and community members to co-create buildings and neighborhoods
Experimental
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
Fashion and Beauty
Clove
A cushioned, liquid-repellent shoe designed to make healthcare workers safer and more comfortable on the job
Finance
Swing Left
A donation website that encourages users to support Democratic candidates in competitive races to maximize the impact of their giving and advance a progressive agenda
Graphic Design
Hong Kong protests: The full story in infographics South China Morning Post
A series of illustrations, maps, animations, and videos that tell the complex story of Hong Kong’s anti-government protests in an accessible, visual way
Health
The Resolution Medical Lattice Swab Resolution Medical and Carbon
A 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swab (developed in less than three weeks to meet critical shortages in COVID-19 testing) that has a unique lattice structure that improves patients’ comfort and makes it easier for healthcare workers to collect samples
Home
Bearaby
A weighted blanket that’s filled with Tencel fabric weights, instead of plastic, to promote a good night’s sleep without damaging the environment
Hospitality
MCR/Morse Development
A transformation of Eero Saarinen’s iconic 1962 TWA Flight Center at New York’s JFK International Airport into a chic hotel
Learning
Outlier.org
A for-credit college-education platform that uses sleek design to help students pass classes, and reduces the cost of courses by more than 80% compared with traditional universities, potentially saving American students billions of dollars a year
Mobility
Move Lab by Free Now
A navigation app that lets you choose your journey based on parameters such as the best-lit streets or the most beautiful landmarks, rather than just the fastest way to get from point A to point B
Mobility
Redesigning the Yellow School Bus Zūm
A system for efficiently transporting schoolchildren in Oakland, California, that reduced the percentage of kids traveling more than 60 minutes each day from 70% to 3%
Packaging
Unocup
A foldable paper cup designed to eliminate the need for wasteful, single-use coffee lids
Products
Logitech G Adaptive Gaming Kit Logitech
A $100 kit, featuring an array of buttons and triggers, to enable more than 46 million people with disabilities to play video games
Retail Environments
“The Truth Is Local” Storefront Installations Local Projects
An audiovisual installation in vacant New York storefronts that brings The New York Times’s local reporting to life
Social Good
Carlo Ratti Associati
An intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients made from converted shipping containers
Spaces and Places
MAD Architects
A kindergarten built around a traditional siheyuan courtyard in Beijing, with a rooftop that doubles as a playground
Sports and Recreation
WNDR Alpine Intention 110 Checkerspot
A ski made of an algae-based composite that dramatically reduces the amount of petrochemicals used to manufacture it
Students
Valentin Weilun Gong, Xiaohui Wang, and Lan Xiao, Royal College of Art and Imperial College London
A body-gesture recognition system that lets people with disabilities customize their own interfaces
Sustainability
Snøhetta
The world’s northernmost energy-positive building, located in Trondheim, Norway, which produces more than twice as much electricity as it consumes on average every day
User Experience
Figma
A free, cloud-based interface design tool that makes prototyping as simple for marketers and product managers as it is for designers and developers
Wellness
ChildSafe Harvey E. Najim Children and Family Center Overland Partners
A trauma care center for abused children in San Antonio that highlights the restorative power of nature, with ample views of the outdoors, natural materials, and a healing garden
Workplace
ZVerse
A face shield with an adjustable neck mount that’s built to be safe and comfortable enough for service industry workers to wear for hours
Best Design Asia-Pacific (APAC)
BadGood Limited
An app that lets users shake, scream, or type their frustrations into their phone to physically release stress
Best Design Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)
VanMoof
An electric commuter bike that hides a range of technologies, from built-in theft control to a nearly silent motor, in a sleek, stylish frame
Best Design Latin America (LATAM)
Work & Co
An app for Brazil’s second-largest telecom company that streamlines the customer service experience
Best Design North America (NA)
New York Times COVID-19 front pages The New York Times
A nontraditional front-page layout using graphics to spotlight the unprecedented scale and horror of the COVID-19 pandemic
