Indie and Startup Creations Take the Spotlight: A Look at Apple’s Design Awards Victors

With its list of Apple Design Awards winners, Apple is celebrating indie apps and startups over bigger tech firms — including those offering AI chatbots. There’s no ChatGPT to be found on Apple’s list of Design Awards finalists, for example. Instead, Apple’s list of finalists for its Design Awards favored small to midsize app makers like Copilot Money, SmartGym, recipe app Crouton, creative app Procreate Dreams, Gentler Streak, and others, as well as those from venture-backed startups like the creativity app Rooms and the reimagined web browser Arc Search. We're overjoyed– and, frankly, in disbelief– that Rooms is a finalist for Apple's 2024 Design Awards. An “Inclusivity” section also boosts Apple’s global app community, including members in the EU where regulation is underway via the Digital Markets Act.

Apple Design Awards Winners Celebrate Indie Apps and Startups

In a bold move, Apple’s annual list of what it considers the best and most innovative software available on its platform is turning its attention to the little guy, highlighting indie apps and startups over bigger tech firms.

At a time when its App Store model has been under scrutiny from legislators and regulators, Apple’s list of Design Awards finalists showcases the underdogs instead of the usual suspects. Notably, there is no mention of AI chatbot offerings such as ChatGPT, as the list favors small to midsize app developers like Copilot Money, SmartGym, Crouton recipe app, Procreate Dreams, Gentler Streak, and others. Even venture-backed startups like Rooms and Arc Search are recognized.

“This one hits different, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team.” – Josh Miller, Creative Director at Apple

With the inclusion of AI technology in today’s app landscape, it’s fascinating that the only app on the list that references this technology is Arc Search. This is a nod to the industry’s recent obsession with AI, as well as the shift towards personalization in the app experience.

Though ChatGPT saw record downloads upon launch last year, it was bypassed by both Apple and Google for their “app of the year” in 2023. The ADAs presented another opportunity to recognize this innovation, but it was again overlooked. (However, it’s worth noting that Apple has a partnership with OpenAI in the works, so there may be potential conflicts of interest at play here.)

Among the finalists were a number of indie games, such as Rytmos from Floppy Club in Copenhagen, finity on Apple Arcade, The Wreck from The Pixel Hunt in Paris, and The Bear from Mucks Games in Germany.

The non-game apps that Apple chose to highlight this year are mostly from indie developers as well, like Meditate from RhythmicWorks Software in India, Sunlitt sun-tracking app from a small team led by indie developer Nicolas Mariniello in Italy, Dudel Draw from Silly Little Apps in the US, Bears Gratitude journaling app by Australian developer Isuru Wanasinghe, and Rooms from Things Inc., a creative app for designing imaginative spaces in an 8-bit style, designed by ex-Googlers and backed by a16z. (Rooms was nominated in two categories, a rare feat for any app.)

“Wow. We’re ecstatic – and, to be honest, a bit in disbelief – that Rooms is a finalist for Apple’s 2024 Design Awards. As if this honor wasn’t enough, we appear to be the only app nominated in two categories!” – Jason Toff, Co-Founder of Things Inc.

That’s not to say there aren’t any larger developers on the finalists list. Examples include South Korea’s Neowiz with its Lies of P title, 505 Games’ Death Stranding Director’s Cut, Honkai: Star Rail from Genshin Impact creator HoYoverse, and Activision’s Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile. In these cases, Apple is recognizing their use of Apple technologies, such as MetalFX and optimizations for M1 and higher chips, or their implementation of in-app purchases.

Other notable titles on the list this year include What the Car?, NYT Games, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Cityscapes: Sim Builder, How We Feel, Ahead: Emotions Coach, The Bear, Lost in Play, Wavelength, Little Nightmares, and a small handful of apps and games that were built for the Vision Pro, including Blackbox, Loóna, Synth Riders, djay, NBA, and Sky Guide. Interestingly, several of these were originally developed for iOS before being adapted for the Vision Pro.

The “Inclusivity” section of the list highlights Apple’s global app community, particularly in the EU where regulations are underway through the Digital Markets Act. Nominations in this category include oko, an app for low-vision users from Belgium, Complete Anatomy 2024, a diversity-focused app from Ireland, Tiimo, an app for neurodivergent users from Denmark, and games such as Unpacking (sold by digital storefront Humble Bundle), Quadline from Ukraine’s Kovalov Ivan, and Crayola Adventures.

2024 Apple Design Award (ADA) Winners

Apple selected a small yet powerful group of app and game developers as winners for the Design Awards, recognizing values and capabilities they endorse, such as “Delight and Fun,” “Inclusivity,” “Innovation,” “Interaction,” “Social Impact,” “Visual and Graphics,” and “Spatial Computing.”

From among the finalists, Apple chose the following winners:

  • Delight and Fun: Rytmos from Floppy Club
  • Inclusivity: Meditate from RhythmicWorks Software
  • Innovation: Sunlitt from Nicolas Mariniello
  • Interaction: Dudel Draw from Silly Little Apps
  • Social Impact: Bears Gratitude from Isuru Wanasinghe
  • Visual and Graphics: Rooms from Things Inc.
  • Spatial Computing: Cityscapes: Sim Builder

This article was originally published on May 28, 2024 and was updated on June 6, 2024 to reflect the winners list.

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Ava Patel

Ava Patel is a cultural critic and commentator with a focus on literature and the arts. She is known for her thought-provoking essays and reviews, and has a talent for bringing new and diverse voices to the forefront of the cultural conversation.

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