Dezeen promotion: the winners of the iF Design Award 2021 have been announced in a worldwide digital campaign due to the travel restrictions to the originally planned ceremony in Berlin, Germany.

Launched in 1954, iF Design, intends to promote social change through design, identify "good design" and support young designers in launching their careers.

This year the iF Design Award winners of nine disciplines selected holistic, human-centred solutions that echoed the theme of the 2021 digital iF winners campaign, The CreatiFe Power of Design.

Here we outline the award-winning projects, including a system that helps visually impaired individuals learn to use the internet and a discrete hearing aid device that can be placed under hair.

Blind Storytelling/Auxiliary equipment for the blind

Blind Storytelling/Auxiliary equipment for the blind was designed to help visually impaired individuals use the internet.

The design includes smart gloves that help people undertake operational commands with their hands, while the headset can read screen information and convert it into audio information.

"The headset can read the information on the recognition screen and convert it into a voice to communicate to the user, while smart gloves can help users realise basic operation commands by setting specific shortcut keys in advance," said the award organisers.

Manufacturer: Shenzhen Powor Industry Design
Project: Blind Storytelling/Auxiliary equipment for the blind
Category: Product Concepts

Healthdot/Wearable Health Sensor

This product is a wearable sensor that allows medical specialists to monitor patients discharged from the hospital during their first few days at home. The sensor is designed to connect to the hospital's cloud system, ensuring remote monitoring. It has a simple round-edged design, intended to be easy to wear.

"Convalescing and elderly patients often struggle with electronic devices that require Bluetooth pairing, pin codes or charging," said the iF Design Award organisers.

"Health Dot is a wearable sensor designed so that patients do not need to do anything to make it work, allowing them to focus on their recovery."

Manufacturer: Phillips
Project: Healthdot/Wearable Health Sensor
Category: Product UX

Ainos Flora/Portable Medical Testing Device

Ainos Flora is a testing device for sexually transmitted diseases and vaginal infections. The design is portable and can tell the user if they have an infection and the pathogen type causing it in just one minute.

"Right now, vaginal infections and STDs often require an invasive and embarrassing pelvic test," said the organisers.

"Ainos Flora eliminates this embarrassment, allowing fast, comfortable and discreet tests."

Manufacturer: Ainos Inc.
Project: Ainos Flora/Portable Medical Testing Device
Category: Medicine and health

Hydroxyl Aura/Air purifier

This product is a wearable air purifier designed to protect users. The design uses patented technology to create sterile air in front of a user's face.

Specifically, it generates cleaning agents called Hydroxyl radicals that destroy pathogens and pollutants.

"Airborne contamination both from pathogens and pollution is a growing concern," said the award organisers. "Clean, pure air is especially important for people with asthma and respiratory conditions."

Manufacturer: Hydroxyl Technologies Limited
Project: Hydroxyl Aura/Air purifier
Category: Medicine and health

Intellimix/Smart Touchless Faucet and Soap Dispenser

Intellimix is a smart touchless tap designed to dispense both soap and water. The design intends to encourage people to wash their hands using soap – a fact that the World Health Organisation recommends as essential to avoid spreading viruses, including Covid-19.

"Rising to the challenges of the modern world calls for a new definition of hygiene," explaines the organisers.
"Intellimix doesn't just deliver superior hygiene, it also reduces running costs, improves sustainability, and even makes maintenance simple."

Manufacturer: Ideal Standard International
Project: Intellimix/Smart Touchless Faucet and Soap Dispenser
Category: Bathroom

Mi Kids Sonic Electric Toothbrush/Children's Dental Care Packaging

Mi Kids Sonic Electric Toothbrush is a toothbrush that includes an app-based brushing animation that enables children to learn good oral hygiene habits. A key component of the design is its packaging, which features interactive illustrations for user engagement.

"The unboxing experience for children replicates the pleasure of reading a picture book or playing a game," said the organisers.

"Once open, the packaging has a second use as a game box, offering children a continued fun and interactive experience."

Manufacturer: Xiaomi
Project: Mi Kids Sonic Electric Toothbrush/Children's Dental Care Packaging
Category: Beauty and health

Motion Pillow/Sleeping aid

This product is an anti-snoring pillow intended to improve sleep quality by reducing snoring. The pillow gently moves the user during sleep. It is equipped with airbags that change their sleeping position without disturbing their rest.

"It has an ergonomic C-curve design to comfortably support the cervical spine, and the pillow height is also designed to be adjustable according to individual preferences," said the organisers.

Manufacturer: 10minds Co., Ltd.
Project: Motion Pillow
Category: Medicine and health

NoHand/Handle

NoHand is designed so that people can open doors with their elbow and forearm, transferring the task away from our hands to protect from pathogens. This resolves the issue of opening doors with hands, which quickly spreads pathogens.

"The situation that has unfolded over the past few months has dramatically highlighted the importance of hygiene," said the award organisers.

"Handles that open doors in public spaces have become dangerous and give cause for concern, as constant sanitation is nearly impossible."

Manufacturer: Manital Srl
Project: NoHand/Handle
Category: Home furniture

ObeEnd Weight Loss Wristband/Smart health bracelet

ObeEnd Weight Loss Wristband/Smart health bracelet is a wearable device designed to help users control calories by using neuromodulation technology to help them control their body weight.

"This provides a precise electric stimulation of acupuncture point PC6 to control body weight," said the organisers. "ObeEnd generates targeted electric stimulation to PC6, which helps reduce hunger and appetite by reducing gastric secretion signals from the brain."

Manufacturer: WAT Medical Enterprise Ltd.
Project: ObeEnd Weight Loss Wristband/Smart health bracelet
Category: Medicine and health

Paexo Neck/Exoskeleton Workgear

Paexo Neck is designed to provide shoulder relief and support to people who do manual work. It has an exoskeleton neck support structure that can be adapted to users by its adjustment options.

The design is lightweight, can be taken on and off in under seconds, and was created to provide users freedom of movement.

"People who perform manual work above the shoulder often experience a great deal of strain in the neck region or even suffer from various work-related disorders," the organisers explained.

Manufacturer: Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA
Project: Paexo Neck/Exoskeleton Workgear
Category: Industry and tools

Phonak Roger On/Wireless Microphone For The Hearing Impaired

This product is a microphone that intends to aid people with hearing loss to understand speech over noise and across distance. The design is wireless and can pick up groups of voices of people sitting next to each other, for example.

"It can be held in hand to pick up a single voice, or it can be worn on the chest by a distant speaker/presenter," said the organisers. "Thanks to the display and the large centre button, it is straightforward for elderly people to operate."

Manufacturer: Phonak Communications AG
Project: Phonak Roger On/Wireless Microphone For The Hearing Impaired
Category: Medicine and health

RONDO 3/Audio processor for cochlear implant system

Rondo 3 is a hearing device designed as one discrete button that can be placed under people's hair. The device's settings and battery levels can be modified and checked on a smartphone, while wireless hearing technology adapts to various environments depending on noise levels.

"Hearing technology should offer one thing: simplicity," said the organisers. "That's why the RONDO 3 audio processor offers cochlear implant users a sleek, smart, and easy-to-use device."

Manufacturer: MED-EL
Project: RONDO 3/Audio processor for cochlear implant system
Category: Medicine and health

CFI-ZCT1/Wireless Controller

The CFI-ZCT1 is a wireless controller designed with PlayStation 5 to create an immersive gaming experience. It includes a built-in microphone, haptic feedback, and dynamic adaptive triggers.

"The grips taper as they extend toward the tip to ensure the controller fits hands of all sizes," said the organisers. "This configuration allows the user to maintain a firm grip while ensuring the fingers can reach all the buttons effortlessly."

Manufacturer: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
Project: CFI-ZCT1/Wireless Controller
Category: Gaming Hardware

First Shaving Series ER-GK20/ER-GM40/Personal Grooming Device

This product is a grooming tool for teenagers to help them take care of unwanted facial and body hair. First Shaving Series was designed with a youthful colour palette intended to appeal to young people. It received an iF gold award from the iF jury for "the encouraging product line".

"Most trimmers and shavers on the market are geared toward adult men," said the organisers. "The design positions the personal grooming of beards, eyebrows, and body hair as a gentle, easy, and positive experience."

Manufacturer: Panasonic Corporation
Project: First Shaving Series ER-GK20/ER-GM40/Personal Grooming Device
Category: Beauty and care

All the award-winning projects are published in the iF design app and in the iF World Design Guide.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for the iF Design Awards as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.