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The 2025 Innovation by Design Awards honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. The competition features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and hungry young talents. As one of the industry’s most prestigious design awards, it offers 30 entry categories, covering every aspect of design. Companies can apply to one or more categories, with entries judged on the key pillars of design criteria: functionality, logic, impact, and beauty.
For full competition details, see the FAQs and last year’s honorees.
Carly Ayres
Writer and editor
Figma
Cheryl Durst
CEO
IIDA
Sagi Haviv
Partner
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv
Benjamin Hubert
Founder and creative director
Layer
Mark Kawano
Chief design officer
Zoom
Ermi van Oers
Biodesigner and founder
Nova Innova
Marti Romances
Cofounder and creative director
Territory Studio
Lisa Smith
Global executive creative director
Jones Knowles Ritchie
Tracey Arcabasso Smith
U.S. head of design and creative fellow
Deloitte Digital
Jeff Staple
Founder
Staple
Amy Williams
CEO
Citizens Humanity
Lisa Williams
CEO
Eileen Fisher
Every entry will be seen by Fast Companyeditors and all finalists will be reviewed by our handpicked esteemed panel of expert judges.. Winners will appear in the Fall issue of Fast Company magazine and on our website, and all honorees will be featured on fastcompany.com. Winners and honorees will also be celebrated at a special awards ceremony and reception at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival this September in New York City.
All entries will be seen and evaluated by Fast Company editors and reporters. All finalists will be reviewed by an esteemed panel of judges.
Honorees and winners will be celebrated at the Innovation by Design Awards Ceremony and Reception at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival this September.
Gain the Fast Company stamp of approval for creating a truly breakthrough design
Tell your organization’s story to the world for the first time; highlight the success of teams within your organization—or partners who’ve helped with your success
Appear in the Fall issue of Fast Company magazine and on fastcompany.com
Every September, the new class of Innovation by Design honorees are celebrated in New York City alongside Fast Company’s Innovation Festival at the Innovation by Design Awards Ceremony & Reception, where the winners of each category are revealed. Apply now for your chance to be featured on this year’s prestigious list and attend this year’s awards ceremony and reception.
There are 30 categories, spanning various aspects and disciplines of design, where projects can be submitted. Designs can be submitted to one or more categories, and entries are evaluated based on the key pillars of design innovation: functionality, logic, impact, and beauty.
Please see below for a complete list of award categories and their descriptions.
Projects that put accessibility front and center, whether packaging, products, or spaces
Marketing campaigns across all mediums in service of a product, cause, or brand
Achievements across the built environment large or small
Systems, platforms, and UIs that leverage algorithms (machine learning and AI) to create media, shape products, and alter behaviors to positively redefine the way we live
Projects that harness the power of data to create better experiences for users, whether it’s an algorithm, a visualization, or an interface
The most innovative design company of the year. Companies will be judged on the quality, breadth, and ambition of their submitted work
Spaces, systems, or products that deliver an innovative and compelling user experience
Concepts, prototypes, and pioneering designs intended to push the boundaries of what’s possible in an industry and excite the imagination
Products, environments, and services that reflect—and enhance—who we are and what we wear
The most innovative contemporary designs with no specific category restrictions
Visual design across genres and mediums that has social, cultural, or business impact
Products, services, and environments designed to improve people’s health and solve problems in the healthcare industry
Accomplishments indoors, ranging from new furniture and fixtures to the design of complete interior spaces and environments for better living
Material innovations and biological processes that lead to greener, better products
Hardware and industrial design geared toward mass consumers and niche markets
Innovative design work created while attending either an undergraduate or graduate program, or within a year of graduation
Projects that use inventive design to meaningfully reduce harm to the environment
Projects that dramatically improve how we get around, including vehicles, public transit, and personal mobility solutions
Built projects that improve cities and neighborhoods, including architecture, landscapes, civic design, apps, and platforms
User interfaces and other designs that consider a user’s journey, from beginning to end, digitally or physically
The most innovative designs overall in the Asia-Pacific region
The most innovative designs overall in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
The most innovative designs overall in Latin America
The most innovative designs overall in North America
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have been in business between 5 and 14 years
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have been in business less than 4 years
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have been in business more than 15 years
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have fewer than 100 employees
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have between 100 to 999 employees
Be honored in a special list that recognizes products, projects, or services by companies that have 1,000 or more employees
“It meant so much to be recognized by Fast Company alongside some of the most innovative design companies in the world. Being honored by the Innovation by Design Awards wasn’t just a great accolade for our team, but a sincere validation of what we’ve been working toward for years as a creative agency that works with purpose-driven organizations.”
“Being given an Innovation by Design Award from Fast Company was a distinct honor. As a nonprofit, our work for the most vulnerable populations is often looked over. Having it recognized among some of the greatest companies and projects in the world was incredible validation for our team and supporters who believe so deeply in our work!”
Resource: https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/innovation-by-design
