These are the 397 most inspiring, innovative designs of 2018

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

FCC National Broadband Map

Mapbox

See Credits

Steve Rosenberg, Chief Data Officer, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC; Richard Mansfield, Associate CIO for Stakeholder Relations, Office of the Managing Director, FCC; Allison Baker, Senior Data Analytics Manager, Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, FCC; Eric Fischer, Tippecanoe, Data viz, Telemetry, Mapbox; Dan Swick, Manager, Supporting Engineer, Mapbox; Hannah Judge, Customer Success, Mapbox

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Vision Zero Traffic Study

Mapbox

See Credits

Rasagy Sharma, Designer, Mapbox; Christina Franken, Mapbox

See past winners: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

All Stories In Innovation By Design

Co.Design

Design will kill marketing, says Ikea’s former design chief

Marcus Engman is leaving Ikea to run a consultancy that convinces companies to spend their marketing budget on what matters: design.

Co.Design

Dyson’s latest product is a $550 hair curler

After six years and $31 million in development, Dyson is launching the Airwrap, a device that creates ringlets using a bit of aerospace-inspired physics.

Innovation By Design

Meet Krewe, the eyewear brand that New Orleans (and Beyoncé) built

The five-year-old brand’s founder is focused on giving back to his native New Orleans and putting it on the map of fashion-forward cities.

Innovation By Design

There’s even a Warby Parker of towels now

Weezie wants to shake up a mundane industry with design.

Innovation By Design

What the healthcare industry could learn from Lyft and Airbnb

The sharing economy is built upon service and interaction designs that engender interpersonal trust. Healthcare organizations could learn from it.

Innovation By Design

The future of web design is less, not more

Low-Tech Magazine’s new website is solar-powered, which means it goes offline in cloudy weather.

Innovation By Design

This building’s giant sundial shows how much energy it’s making

It’s one of the most efficient buildings in the country–but its most unique design feature might be the 40-foot-tall installation in the atrium.

Innovation By Design

Dieter Rams wants Silicon Valley to stop

In Gary Hustwit’s highly anticipated new documentary “Rams,” the legendary industrial designer indicts the world he helped create.

Innovation By Design

This long-lost Eames design is being produced for the first time

In the 1940s, radio companies rejected the Eameses’ designs as being “too modern.” Not anymore.

Innovation By Design

Sick of midcentury modern? Here’s where to buy today’s best design

Skip the spindly leg sofas and knockoff Eames chairs, and try these shopping destinations instead.

Impact

The most polluted parts of the U.S. are more at risk for coronavirus deaths

Impact

Immigrant social network Homeis is providing COVID-19 help to communities with nowhere else to turn

Impact

These pop-up hospital rooms are designed to help increase the capacity to treat coronavirus patients

Creativity

How Steak-Umm—yes, that Steak-Umm—became a voice of reason in the pandemic

Creativity

These clever movie posters imagine Hollywood’s A-list as your favorite brand mascots

Creativity

This travel videographer found a creative way to go skiing while quarantined

Co.Design

These custom Zoom backgrounds make you a magazine cover star

Co.Design

Will your cotton mask prevent coronavirus spread? New study casts doubt

Co.Design

3D print your own hands-free door handles

Work Life

5 ways to stay emotionally healthy while self-isolating

Work Life

‘Our company is unapologetically American Chinese’: How Panda Express is fighting COVID-19 racism

Work Life

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Citrix

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The Grill

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Mapbox

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Mapbox

All Stories In Innovation By Design

Design will kill marketing, says Ikea’s former design chief

Marcus Engman is leaving Ikea to run a consultancy that convinces companies to spend their marketing budget on what matters: design.

Dyson’s latest product is a $550 hair curler

After six years and $31 million in development, Dyson is launching the Airwrap, a device that creates ringlets using a bit of aerospace-inspired physics.

Meet Krewe, the eyewear brand that New Orleans (and Beyoncé) built

The five-year-old brand’s founder is focused on giving back to his native New Orleans and putting it on the map of fashion-forward cities.

There’s even a Warby Parker of towels now

Weezie wants to shake up a mundane industry with design.

What the healthcare industry could learn from Lyft and Airbnb

The sharing economy is built upon service and interaction designs that engender interpersonal trust. Healthcare organizations could learn from it.

The future of web design is less, not more

Low-Tech Magazine’s new website is solar-powered, which means it goes offline in cloudy weather.

This building’s giant sundial shows how much energy it’s making

It’s one of the most efficient buildings in the country–but its most unique design feature might be the 40-foot-tall installation in the atrium.

Dieter Rams wants Silicon Valley to stop

In Gary Hustwit’s highly anticipated new documentary “Rams,” the legendary industrial designer indicts the world he helped create.

This long-lost Eames design is being produced for the first time

In the 1940s, radio companies rejected the Eameses’ designs as being “too modern.” Not anymore.

Sick of midcentury modern? Here’s where to buy today’s best design

Skip the spindly leg sofas and knockoff Eames chairs, and try these shopping destinations instead.

Impact

The most polluted parts of the U.S. are more at risk for coronavirus deaths

Immigrant social network Homeis is providing COVID-19 help to communities with nowhere else to turn

These pop-up hospital rooms are designed to help increase the capacity to treat coronavirus patients

Creativity

How Steak-Umm—yes, that Steak-Umm—became a voice of reason in the pandemic

These clever movie posters imagine Hollywood’s A-list as your favorite brand mascots

This travel videographer found a creative way to go skiing while quarantined

Co.Design

These custom Zoom backgrounds make you a magazine cover star

Will your cotton mask prevent coronavirus spread? New study casts doubt

3D print your own hands-free door handles

Work Life

5 ways to stay emotionally healthy while self-isolating

‘Our company is unapologetically American Chinese’: How Panda Express is fighting COVID-19 racism

The surprising science behind better brainstorming