These are the 397 most inspiring, innovative designs of 2018

Winner:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Lafayette Anticipations

Wolff Olins

See Credits

Sidney Lim, Senior Designer Chris Moody, Chief Design Officer Brian Boylan, Mentor Neil Cummings, Creative Director Calle Enstrom, Senior Designer Pierre Antoine Arlot, Programme Director Colophon Foundry, Typography Richard Coldicott, Animator Agence Zélé, Signage Design Agence Dream On, Implementation Agency Cassie Simpson, Account Manager

Finalist:Design Company of the Year

Wolff Olins

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Alibaba ET Brain

Wolff Olins

See Credits

Emma Barratt, Creative Director; Sidney Lim, Senior Designer; Larissa Maris, Programme Director; Matthias Hoegg, Senior Animator; Tom Bennett, Designer; Franc Falco, 3D Modeller

Honorable Mention:Timeless Design

USA Today redesign

Wolff Olins

See Credits

Lisa Smith — Design Director; Mads Poulsen — Senior Designer; Melissa Scott — Senior Designer; Alvin Aronson — Designer; Jeanette Abbink — Designer; James Kape — Designer; Mike Abbink — Typography; Johnny Selman — Illustrator; Kate Nielsen — Account Manager; Jessica Chalifoux — Account Manager; Sam Wilson — Strategy Director

Honorable Mention:Timeless Design

NYC

Wolff Olins

See Credits

Jordan Crane, Design; Karl Heiselman, Design; Paige Reilly, Account Manager; Mike Abbink, Design; Brian Boylan, Mentor

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

Winner:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Finalist:Design Company of the Year

Honorable Mention:Graphic Design and Data Visualization

Honorable Mention:Timeless Design

Honorable Mention:Timeless 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.

Why do synthetic chemicals seem more toxic than natural ones?

This nonprofit is teaching children philanthropy like it was any other kids’ activity

America’s top CEOs say they are no longer putting shareholders before everyone else

A fan used 13,000 LEGOs to build this amazing, life-size, fully operational claw machine

Tech billionaires haven’t killed Burning Man’s anti-capitalist spirit—but influencers might

Timeline: Burning Man’s tumultuous past

MIT Media Lab director apologizes for accepting funds from Jeffrey Epstein

This beautiful but terrifying new footbridge has a gap in the middle

This brilliant hydroponic system puts a whole garden on your countertop

These 3 weird tricks have helped me beat work procrastination

The worst financial advice I’ve ever gotten

This is how to tell if your boss really likes you