Google opened its Material Design Awards to self-nomination in June 2017. Currently, in their third year, the Material Design Awards focus on awarding apps on Android, iOS, and the web that score best on design principles. Today, the tech giant announced four winning apps for this year followed by a new trophy design.
The company started hosting the Material Design Awards since 2015 with the main focus on recognising “best-in-class achievements in employing the Material Design system, and honor the makers behind each design.” Google received “hundreds of submissions” after opening the awards for self-nomination.
After a thorough review of the nominated apps, Google finally revealed the names of the winning apps. These apps were segmented into four categories for the 2017 Material Design Awards - Brand Expressiveness, Interaction Design, Platform Adaptiveness, and Innovation.
This time around, Google has also redesigned the trophy for the award winners. From a White design with sparse colouring, the new trophy is rectangular with darker looking Black colour top and different colour base. The inscription is on the top written in a White print with Black background.
Here are the winners for Google Material Design Awards 2017:
1. Brand Expressiveness: Blinkist by Blink Labs GmbH
In Blinkist, the brand identity is brought to life through an engaging and harmonious use of iconography, motion, and especially typography. The type layout establishes clear hierarchy while maintaining a reader-friendly presentation through the comfortable use of whitespace. The presentation is further enhanced by clear, simple text labels. The end result is a reading experience which is distinct and engaging.
2. Interaction Design: Eventbrite Organizer by Eventbrite
Through clear structure, navigation, and use of affordances, Eventbrite Organizer deftly streamlines the entire event management process from creation to conclusion. The app delivers efficient support for the many tasks an organizer is responsible for, without ever leaving the user overwhelmed by options. Everything a busy event planner needs is present and accessible in just a handful of touches.
3. Platform Adaptiveness: NPR One by NPR
The multi-platform design allows NPR One users to consistently perform tasks in a way that feels natural for each device, whether it’s in your pocket, on your wrist, or in your car or home. Even the content feels adaptive, offering a programming range that gives users the option of getting caught up in just a couple of minutes, or diving deep into a topic of interest. Stories are well-organized, enabling targeted searching and casual discovery with equal ease.
4. Innovation: momondo by momondo
The momondo app shows how an experience can be true to the fundamentals of Material Design, but still push the components in inspiring new directions. Familiar elements take on new life with delightfully distinctive animations; even a loading state combines beautiful imagery with subtle use of motion. The cumulative result: A carefully considered interface that pleasantly encourages the user through a comprehensive search experience.
