Apple announces 36 Design Award Finalists 2021

Ahead of Worldwide Developer Conference 2021, Apple has announced 36 Apple Design Award finalists. The finalists are awarded on their “innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement in app and game design” in six categories.

Amongst the 36 finalists, developers of Alba, Wonderbox, Little Orpheus, and Bird Alone apps were chosen in two categories. Here is the complete list of the Design Award 2021 finalist.

Apple App store

Apple Design Award 2021 finalists in 6 categories

Inclusivity

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From some of the best puzzle designers in the world comes A Monster’s Expedition, an adorable and relaxing open world puzzle adventure for monsters who love to learn about humans.

  • Alba – Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV

Join Alba as she visits her grandparents on a Mediterranean island. She is ready for a peaceful summer of wildlife exploration with her friend Ines, but when she sees an animal in danger, she realises she needs to do something about it!

This is truly a Mediterranean paradise if you ignore all the litter! From the idyllic beaches to the ancient castle overlooking the town a whole island is ready to be explored. With Ines and your grandfather – who is a total bird nerd – by your side, you can start the movement to save the island. Maybe even the world after that.

In this near-future social media world, you’re charged with photographing the inside of an opulent building — but beware: the house is getting to know you too, perhaps better than you know yourself.

You’ll explore lush environments with your phone’s camera in 360° as you search for hidden objects, solve puzzles, and get to know the characters within Carmen’s world.

Tell your story. Me: A Kid’s Diary gives kids hundreds of fun, inspiring prompts to help them learn more about themselves and the people around them.

In drawings, words, animations, recordings, and photos, kids can document their worlds: their families, friends, pets, feelings, likes, dislikes, wishes, and dreams. As they play and create, kids build self-awareness, self-confidence, empathy, and kindness.

Voice Dream Reader is a text-to-speech reader that turns any document and ebook into audio. Featured by Apple as Best New App and App of the Day in 81 countries including the United States and part of App Store Permanent Collections in Education.

Apple Design Awards 2021

Delight and Fun 

Little Orpheus is a technicolor side-scrolling adventure game inspired by classic movies like Flash Gordon, Sinbad and The Land that Time Forgot. Delivered in eight bite-size, commute-friendly episodes, Little Orpheus is simple enough for casual players but rich enough for seasoned adventure fans.

The Pok Pok Playroom is a collection of handcrafted toys that spark creativity and learning through open-ended play. Perfect for ages 2-6!

Poolside FM is the super-summer music player for Macintosh Computer; transporting you to a virtual vacation where the sun never sets.

Grab another Long Island and pick from a number of sun-drenched channels, each lovingly curated with the sole purpose of lifting your spirits.

“RakugakiAR” is a make-your-dream-come-true app that brings life to your doodle! Whether it’s on a notebook, a whiteboard, or anywhere, this app scans the scribble you’ve drawn and brings it to life. The doodle will have its own life and walkabout in the AR environment on your smartphone. Feed them, poke them, play with them any way you want!

A narrative adventure game by the BAFTA winning studio State of Play.

  • Wonderbox – Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV

Creating and exploring are the essence of Wonderbox, an action-adventure game set in beautiful dioramas. Discover this ever-expanding universe with your friends and family, where you can make and share your own adventures. SEVEN WONDERS OF THE GAME

Apple Design Awards 2021

Interaction 

A journey of growth and loss with a best friend.

Talk about life, make music, draw pictures and write poetry.

Start each day answering your new friend’s questions about life, death and the meaning of existence.

CARROT Weather is a crazy-powerful (and privacy-conscious) weather app that delivers hilariously twisted forecasts.

  •  Craft – Mac, iPhone and iPad

Craft is a tool for creating beautiful documents and notes and sharing your thoughts. Everything you create in Craft can be shared with one tap. Craft supports inline markdown, backlinks, code snippets, images, videos, attaching PDF files, and rich link previews.

  • Nova – Mac web app
  • Sp!ng– Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple TV
  • Wonderbox

Apple Design Awards 2021

Social Impact 

Attentat 1942 is a historically-accurate adventure told through the eyes of World War 2 survivors. Many moral dilemmas and existential struggles await you on your way to discover the troubled past of your family. Written and made by professional historians.

Need a pair of sharp eyes? Or have some sight to lend? Be My Eyes is a simple, free tool to see the world better, together.

Be My Eyes connects you with a global community of volunteers and company representatives who are ready at a moment’s notice to help you see – to lend their eyesight and support with everyday tasks.

News is really important, but following it can be stressful and overwhelming. Brief is a subscription news service that fits the most important news stories into the little free moments you have each day.

On December 31st 1993 in the crumbling ruins of a mansion on Achill Island, Kasio destroys her diary.It tells the story of her return home to the West of Ireland, her conflict with her family, the friends she makes, and the challenges she goes through.

With Klima, a carbon neutral life has never been simpler. Calculate your carbon footprint and neutralize 100% of your CO2 emissions in just three minutes. How? By funding science-based climate projects that capture or prevent the same emissions elsewhere. Next, learn how to shrink your own footprint sustainably and watch your positive impact grow.

Apple Design Awards 2021

Visuals and Graphics 

From Charles Cecil, creator of the Broken Sword series, with art direction by Dave Gibbons, legendary comic book artist behind ‘Watchmen’, comes ‘Beyond a Steel Sky’, the long awaited sequel to the cult classic ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’.

You are Robert Foster. A child has been abducted in a brutal attack. You have vowed to bring him home. But the trail has led you from your community of desert wasteland dwellers, to Union City, one of the last remaining mega-cities in a world ravaged by shattering wars, and political meltdown.

Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.

You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived. 

  • Little Orpheus
  • Loona– iPhone and iPad

loóna is the first app that lets you quickly disconnect from a long stressful day and get in the right mood for sleep.

Explore Mars with the power of AR. Take an interactive look at Perseverance and other rovers, drive them around, and explore Mars in immersive 3D.

Harness the power of AR to explore the Red Planet through our amazing rovers. With Perseverance now on Mars, take an up-close interactive look at this and other rovers that paved the way. You can even drive one down your street.

WEATHER YOU PLAY LIKE A GAME

What if you could play the daily weather like you play a song? Scrub through a day and experience the shifts in weather over the course of a day like a timelapse shot.

Apple Design Awards 2021

Innovation 

Blind Drive is an audio-based, black comedy arcade action game.You’re blindfolded and going against traffic. Cars rushing past, angry drivers yelling at you. Cops on your tail. And you can’t see a thing. Can you do it?

The entire game is experienced through your ears. Play as Donnie, trying to make a quick buck in a scientific study but quickly finding himself in over his head, cuffed to the wheel and driving blindfolded. Plus he’s late for dinner with Grandma.

The skills-and-strats 5v5 MOBA experience of League of Legends, now on mobile.

Dive into Wild Rift: the skills-and-strategy 5v5 MOBA experience of League of Legends by Riot Games, now built from the ground up for mobile. With smooth controls and fast-paced games, you can team up with friends, lock in your champion, and go for the big plays.

Bring extinct creatures back to life in the real world. Guided by David Attenborough, learn about the most curious animals that ever lived through the power of AR.

Follow a fearsome sabre-toothed tiger on a hunt, watch a flying dinosaur soar through the air, and meet an utterly unique ancient sea creature.

NaadSadhana will create and play music automatically as you sing or play, on 10 Instruments, 8 Genres, using artificial intelligence.

Tabla, Drone(Tanpura, Surpeti), Melody (Swarmandal), Harmony (Violin, Piano, Harmonium), Percussion (Manjira, Ghungroo, Shaker)

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Apple Design Awards 2021

Apple also announced the winners of WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge. The three teenage girl developers shone amongst the 350 candidates for their innovative problem-solving tech. Review 2020 finalists here.

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About the Author

Addicted to social media and in love with iPhone, started blogging as a hobby. And now it's my passion for every day is a new learning experience. Hopefully, manufacturers will continue to use innovative solutions and we will keep on letting you know about them.