2023 Apple Design Awards finalists announced

Ahead of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference, the tech giant has announced 36 finalists for the 2023 Apple Design Awards. The finalists are awarded on their “excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement in app and game design.”

This year’s Apple Design Awards finalists include popular apps like Duolingo, Gentler Streak, Flightly, and Headspace. Check out the 12 winners of last year’s Apple Design Awards here.

Apple Design Awards 2022

Apple reveals 36 finalists for 2023 Apple Design Awards

Inclusivity

Anne was not just Helen Keller’s assistant, she can now be yours too. Meet Anne, a deaf-blind gateway to the outside world powered by Morse code and iPhone haptics.

Universe is a website builder that lets you choose a domain and set up shop in minutes. Make anything you want, anywhere in the world—from your phone, iPad, or Mac.

Passenger Assistance is the new app for disabled people and their carers to request assistance for rail travel in Great Britain.

  • stitch. – iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV

Stitch. is a casual puzzle game with embroidery on a numbered grid. The main objective is to fill in the levels’ areas with no gaps to complete Hoops.

Have you ever heard of Hnefatafl, a game played during the Viking Age? Or Latrunculi, popular over 2000 years ago in ancient Rome? Discover these games and many more in the “Ancient Board Game Collection”.

Hannah’s got it all: a well-paying job, a fancy coffee machine, and a comfortable life – so why isn’t she happy?

Explore beautiful scenes and find hidden objects to learn more about the characters and their journey of self-discovery.

Apple Design Awards

Delight and Fun 

Learn a new language with the world’s most-downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills.

  • CREME – iPhone, and Mac

CREME is simple. Chefs from all over the world are filmed cooking what they love, you subscribe to get unlimited access to their video recipes under a new universal recipe standard, and we pay them the overwhelming majority of your subscription.

Chantlings is a singing app for the iPhone and iPad. It was made for anyone brave enough to explore the colors and shapes of their voice.

Saddle up for this unique solitaire and horse-racing hybrid from Game Freak, creators of the Pokémon franchise! Pocket Card Jockey originally released to great acclaim on the Nintendo 3DS, and while the basic rules are the same, the racing segments have been reborn in glorious 3-D!

Knotwords is a minimal and elegant logic puzzle — with words.

The rules are simple: arrange the letters in each section so every word is valid, across and down.

Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It’s a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You’ll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though – you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You’ll have to forge your own path.

Apple Design Awards

Interaction

Learn a new language with the world’s most-downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills.

CREME is simple. Chefs from all over the world are filmed cooking what they love, you subscribe to get unlimited access to their video recipes under a new universal recipe standard, and we pay them the overwhelming majority of your subscription.

Chantlings is a singing app for the iPhone and iPad. It was made for anyone brave enough to explore the colors and shapes of their voice.

Saddle up for this unique solitaire and horse-racing hybrid from Game Freak, creators of the Pokémon franchise! Pocket Card Jockey originally released to great acclaim on the Nintendo 3DS, and while the basic rules are the same, the racing segments have been reborn in glorious 3-D!

Knotwords is a minimal and elegant logic puzzle — with words.

The rules are simple: arrange the letters in each section so every word is valid, across and down.

Afterplace is an adventurous indie game for mobile devices. It’s a huge open world, full of hidden secrets, treasures, and creatures. You’ll run around the woods, fight monsters, and talk to ostensibly shady characters! All from your pocket! Be warned though – you never know what the forest might be hiding, and not all trails are paved. Labyrinths and dungeons are tucked away in the most concealed nooks. There are no waypoints in Afterplace. You’ll have to forge your own path.

Apple Design Awards

Social Impact

Learn a new language with the world’s most-downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing to build your vocabulary and grammar skills.

Sago Mini First Words is the most playful way to support your little one’s speech development! Discover thoughtfully-designed learning games developed with the guidance of speech-language pathologists, child psychologists, and child development experts. Little ones practice articulation, pronunciation, and boost communication skills.

Stress less, sleep soundly, and get happier. Headspace is everyday mindfulness and meditation, so you can make mindfulness a daily habit and be kind to your mind. Learn how to relax, manage stress, find your focus, and release tension in both the mind and body.

From the creator of Prune, Hindsight is a narrative exploration game spanning the entirety of a woman’s life, from birth to present day, as she tries to make sense of it all. Revisit her childhood home, sort through personal belongings, and step through windows to memories frozen in time.

Experience a world ravaged by mankind through the eyes of the last fox on Earth in this eco-conscious adventure.

Discover the destructive force of the human race, as it corrupts, pollutes, and exploits the most precious and valuable resources of the natural environment day by day.

Do you have what it takes to save the planet? Beecarbonize is an environmental card strategy game with climate change as your opponent.

Research cutting-edge technologies, enact policies, protect ecosystems, and modernize industry to cut down carbon emissions. Manage your resources well and you might survive.

Apple Design Awards

Visuals and Graphics

Discover a new way to stay active and connected with Any Distance – a social network designed to bring positivity, inclusion, and motivation to your fitness journey. Say goodbye to algorithms, ads, and competition, and embrace a close-knit community of like-minded friends.

Gentler Streak is a health and fitness tracker that puts your wellbeing first. It helps find the right balance between exercise and rest. App responds to your readiness and proposes daily workout actions that keep you within healthy activity levels. Rest days are part of the actions that keep the streak going. Follow the guidance and see your fitness improve!

  • Riveo – iPhone and iPad

Riveo’s easy-to-use AI-driven FX composer unlocks your creativity whether you record video on your iPhone or film with professional-grade gear. Adapt ideas from paper into captivating social media reels, short clips, music videos, movie trailers, promos, collages, ads, montages, vlogs, stories, intros, slideshows, TV transitions, and even short films!

Explore the dark realm of Sanctuary like never before, now a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) where angels and demons wage an endless war over dominion of the mortal realm. Join forces with other players on an epic quest to collect the shattered fragments of the corrupted Worldstone and prevent the Lord of Terror’s return.

Experience survival horror like never before in the 8th major installment in the Resident Evil franchise – Resident Evil Village. With detailed graphics, intense first-person action and masterful storytelling, the terror has never felt more realistic.

Experience a world ravaged by mankind through the eyes of the last fox on Earth in this eco-conscious adventure.

Discover the destructive force of the human race, as it corrupts, pollutes, and exploits the most precious and valuable resources of the natural environment day by day.

Apple Design Awards

Innovation

The Official Player & Ball Tracking App of Tennis Australia, LTA and ITA. Backed by investors Andy Roddick and James Blake. Built by A.I. experts from Tesla and Apple.

Camo uses the incredible cameras in your iPhone to produce pro-quality video, whether you’re meeting, streaming, or recording. Its intuitive interface runs on your Mac or PC, and is compatible with all the apps you already use.

Become a better sleeper thanks to 100 years of sleep science.

Teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS as well as many Fortune 500 companies trust Rise to help members achieve better sleep.

Experience survival horror like never before in the 8th major installment in the Resident Evil franchise – Resident Evil Village. With detailed graphics, intense first-person action and masterful storytelling, the terror has never felt more realistic.

  • stitch. – iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV

Stitch. is a casual puzzle game with embroidery on a numbered grid. The main objective is to fill in the levels’ areas with no gaps to complete Hoops.

Build your deck of 12 cards. Each Card represents a Marvel Super Hero or Villain, each with a unique power or ability. The goal of the game is to outsmart and outwit your opponent. Learning how to play only takes a few minutes, and matches only take 3-minutes.

Apple Design Awards

In related news, Apple recently shared the event schedule for WWDC 23. Though the event’s keynote will be streamed online, select participants will attend the event in person at the Apple Park campus.

About the Author

Asma is an editor at iThinkDifferent with a strong focus on social media, Apple news, streaming services, guides, mobile gaming, app reviews, and more. When not blogging, Asma loves to play with her cat, draw, and binge on Netflix shows.