Behind the scenes of Innovation by Design 2023

 

By Liz Stinson

For 13 years running, Innovation by Design has celebrated the people and companies behind some of the world’s best and most thought-provoking design work. This year is no exception. The 2023 Innovation by Design Awards recognize more than 500 projects that change the way people interact with the world around them.

To get there requires a small army of editorial staff who spend months poring over applications, vetting projects, and ultimately telling the stories of the best designs of the bunch. Here is a behind-the-scenes peek into how we make it happen.

Methodology

More than 2,000 applications were submitted to the 2023 Innovation by Design Awards. A team of staff editors and writers, alongside trusted freelancers, assessed each application based on our criteria, which includes:

    Functional: What problem does the design solve?

    Logical: Does the design make sense? Does it work?

    Impactful: Does a design make a difference in its users’ lives?

    Beauty: Is it thoughtfully designed?

“Judging Innovation by Design is a company-wide effort, representing months of ongoing work for dozens of people on staff. The writers and editors assigned to read applications in each category align directly with their area of expertise,” says Mark Wilson, Fast Company’s global design editor. “After creating a shortlist of the most innovative designs in each category, we enlist small groups of professional designers to discuss and debate our finalists.”

Each winner is chosen after multiple rounds of judging and conversations about a design’s role in the current cultural moment. This monthslong process ensures that every project chosen to receive an Innovation by Design honor is representative of the best work in its respective field.

Meet the Team

External judges
Christina Agapakis, creative director, Ginkgo Bioworks; Vivianne Castillo, founder, HmntyCntrd; Sara Chieffo, VP, government affairs, League of Conservation Voters; Natsai Audrey Chieza, founder and CEO, Faber Futures; Ron Faris, VP and GM, Nike Virtual Studios; Lucy Greco, design evangelist, University of California, Berkeley; Prem Krishnamurthy, director, Wkshps; Gabi Michel, director, accessible accessories, Microsoft; Silas Munro, founder, Polymode; Georg Petschnigg, SVP, product design, New York Times; Anna Polonsky, founder, Polonsky & Friends; Mark Rolston, cofounder, Argodesign; Michael Simcoe, SVP, global design, General Motors; Saskia van Gendt, head of sustainability, Rothy’s; Brad Wilson, copartner and CEO, Ace Hotel Group and Atelier Ace

Contributors
Margaret Andersen, Jeff Beer, Nate Berg, Elissaveta Brandon, Morgan Clendaniel, Jesus Diaz, Amy Farley, Yasmin Gagne, Ainsley Harris, Andrea Paola Hernandez, AJ Hess, Connie Lin, Harry McCracken, Steven Melendez, Heidi Mitchell, Pavithra Mohan, Paul Mueller, Adele Peters, Zac Petit, Clint Rainey, Aimee Rawlins, David Salazar, Mike Schnaidt, Elizabeth Segran, Liz Stinson, Kristin Toussaint, Max Ufberg, Talib Visram, Mark Wilson, Jay Woodruff, Christopher Zara

 

Coordinator: Shealon Calkins

Design/Photo: Jeanne Graves, Celine Grouard, Heda Hokschirr, Eric Perry, Sandra Riaño, Daniel Salo, Hitomi Sato, Mike Schnaidt

Development: Bryan Cuellar, JJ Guaragno, Kristin Lenz, Adam Noonan-Kelly

Fast Company

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