The 100 Greatest Designs of Modern Times
Fortune magazine partnered with the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Institute of Design (ID) to poll educators, influencers, freelance designers, and corporate design teams on the creations they consider truly great and identified 100 iconic designs of modern times. Unlike a similar compilation Fortune did in 1959, the current list features not just products and objects but also systems and services.
The ranking is based on five criteria - how adaptable, equitable, usable, impactful, transformational the products are.
The 2020 list -
1. iPhone
Designed by Apple, 2007
2. Macintosh - defined the personal computer category
Designed by Apple, 1984
3. Google Search Engine
Designed by Google, 1997
4. Eames Fiberglass Armchair
Designed by Ray + Charles Eames, 1950
5. Sony Walkman TPS-L2
Designed by Norio Ohga, 1979
6. OXO Good Grips Peeler - an ergonomically superior peeler that Farber created for his arthritic wife.
Designed by Sam Farber + Smart Design, 1990
7. Uber Rideshare
Designed by Uber, 2009
8. Netflix Streaming
Designed by Netflix, 1997
9. Lego Building Blocks - 75 billion pieces are made annually
Designed by Lego + Hilary Fisher Page, 1939
10. iPod - Put all your music in your pocket
Designed by Apple (Jonathan Ive), 2001
11. Google Maps
Designed by Where 2 Technologies, 2005
12. Apollo 11 Mission
Designed by NASA, 1969
13. Akari Lamp 1A
Designed by Isamu Noguchi, 1951
14. MacBook Pro
Designed by Apple (Jonathan Ive), 2006
15. Post-it Notes
Designed by 3M (Spencer Silver + Arthur Fry), 1977
16. Boeing 747
Designed by Joe Sutter + Boeing Team, 1970
17. Polaroid SX-70
Designed by James Gilbert Baker + Edwin Herbert Land, 1972
18. Model S Sedan
Designed by Tesla (Franz von Holzhausen), 2012
19. Nokia 3210 - The first phone to sell more than 100 million units.
Designed by Alastair Curtis, 1999
20. Savoy Vase - Each and every vase in the Alvar Aalto Collection continues to be mouth blown at the Iittala factory in Finland
Designed by Alvar + Aino Aalto, 1972
21. Philips Hue Lighting System
Designed by Philips (Signify), 2012
22. App Store
Designed by Apple, 2008
23. Spotify
Designed by Spotify, 2006
24. Amazon Prime
Designed by Amazon, 2005
25. Muji Rice Cooker
Designed by Naoto Fukasawa, 2014
26. Airbnb
Designed by Airbnb, 2008
27. Wikipedia
Designed by Wikipedia, 2001
28. NYC Subway Map - simplified, color-coded abstraction of the sprawling transit system of New York City
Designed by Unimark (Massimo Vignelli), 1972
29. iOS - A mobile operating system installed on 1.5 billion devices.
Designed by Apple, 2007
30. Shinkansen - Japan’s bullet trains reach 200 mph and have recorded zero passenger fatalities.
Designed by Japanese National Railways, 1964
31. WeChat - Integrates a host of essential mobile apps
Designed by Tencent (Zhang Xiaolong), 2011
32. Nest Learning Thermostat - A thermostat that programs itself
Designed by Nest Labs (Tony Fadell), 2011
33. 606 Shelving System - Modular shelving that works anywhere and holds anything.
Designed by Vitsoe (Dieter Rams), 1960
34. Skype - A videochat service so successful that it’s become a verb: to Skype.
Designed by Skype, 2003
35. Modern Classics - Designed to cost no more than a pack of cigarettes and fit in a pocket.
Designed by Penguin (Jan Tschichold), 1952
36. ClearRX - Clearly labeled drug containers use color coding and clever design to aid patient safety.
Designed by Deborah Adler, 2005
37. Mobike - An elegant solution to the “last mile” problem: the first cashless, dockless bike share.
Designed by Beijing Mobile Bike Technology, 2015
38. Round Thermostat - the humble round thermostat
Designed by Honeywell (Henry Dreyfuss), 1953
39. Stool 60 - “A seat, table, storage unit; democratic, cheap, stackable.”
Designed by Artek (Alvar Aalto), 1933
40. Facebook
Designed by Facebook, 2003
41. Billy Bookcase
Designed by IKEA, 1979
42. Pride Flag - Iconic rainbow ..for LGBTQ+ people
Designed by Gilbert Baker, 1979
43. Lia Pregnancy Test - a home pregnancy test produced from paper that disintegrates in water, offering more privacy for women and less plastic waste
Designed by Bethany Edwards + Anna Simpson, 2017
44. Super Mario Bros. - “A masterpiece of horizontal scroll action. Contributed to massive expansion of the gaming industry..”
Designed by Nintendo (Shigeru Miyamoto), 1985
45. Vélib’ Bike Service - Paris’s e-bike share
Designed by JCDecaux, 2007
46. Apple Watch
Designed by Apple, 2015
47. Bialetti Moka Pot - coffee pot that's easy to use on a gas or electric stove.
Designed by Alfonso Bialetti, 1933
48. Poäng - Ikea continues to sell about 1.5 million of these elegant-yet-affordable chairs annually.
Designed by Ikea (Noboru Nakamura), 1974
49. Volkswagen Beetle - Commissioned by Adolf Hitler to be an affordable “people’s car” for the citizens of the Third Reich
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, 1938
50. Microsoft Office
Designed by Microsoft, 1990
51. Tupperware
Designed by Earl Tupper, 1948
52. View-Master Model F
Designed by Chuck Harrison, 1958
53. LifeStraw - A drinking straw with a self-contained filtration system, LifeStraw has been deployed in disaster regions around the world and has provided safe water to millions.
Designed by Vestergaard Frandsen, 2005
54. Raspberry Pi - “A simple, single-board computer, designed to promote basic computer-science education in schools and developing countries."
Designed by Raspberry Pi Foundation, 2012
55. Flex-Foot - carbon graphite prosthesis allows leg and foot amputees to run and jump by storing and releasing kinetic energy like a spring.
Designed by Van Phillips, 1971
56. Novel Hospital Toys
Designed by Hikaru Imamura, 2012
57. Life Magazine - turned the medium of magazine on its head by putting more emphasis on photography than words.
Designed by Time Inc., 1936
58. Leica M3 - its super-bright combined viewfinder and rangefinder allowed photographers to better understand the images they would capture on film before clicking the shutter.
Designed by Ernst Leitz, 1954
59. Olivetti Lettera 32 Typewriter
Designed by Marcello Nizzoli, 1963
60. Airtable - online group-collaboration tool
Designed by Airtable, 2012
61. Forever Stamps
Designed by United States Postal Service, 2006
62. Telephone Area Code
Designed by Bell Labs (Ladislav Sutnar), 1947
63. Braun Calculator
Designed by Braun (Dieter Rams + Dietrich Lubs), 1987
64. Apple Pay
Designed by Apple, 2014
65. Flyknit - knitting process creates a running shoe upper that is virtually seamless, highly breathable, and hugs the foot like a sock.
Designed by Nike, 2008
66. Orange-Handled Shears - ergonomic, plastic-handled scissor
Designed by Fiskars, 1967
67. Pokémon
Designed by Satoshi Tajiri, 1989
68. EpiPen - safely and simply delivered a dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) into a patient experiencing anaphylaxis.
Designed by Mylan, 1987
69. Medical Drones
Designed by Zipline, 2014
70. Geodesic Dome - formula to construct a robust domed shelter
Designed by Buckminster Fuller, 1948
71. Tampon
Designed by Earle Haas, 1933
72. 23 & Me - DNA testing
Designed by Linda Avey, Paul Cusenza, Anne Wojcicki, 2006
73. Dyson Bagless - vacuum cleaner
Designed by James Dyson, 1980
74. Netscape Browser
Designed by AOL, 2005
75. Futura Typeface
Designed by Paul Renner, 1927
76. SUICA - rechargeable, contactless payment card for Japanese train lines.
Designed by JR East, 2001
77. Air Jordan 1 - design that took basketball shoes from the court to the streets and into pop culture.
Designed by Nike (Peter C. Moore), 1984
78. Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool - 14 tools in one
Designed by Tim Leatherman, 1983
79. Box Chair - tubular metal and perforated plastic
Designed by Enzo Mari, 1971
80. Ultra Light Down
Designed by Uniqlo, 2011
81. Havaianas -first rubber flip-flop
Designed by Robert Fraser, 1966
82. Womb Chair
Designed by Eero Saarinen, 1948
83. PeaPod - one of the original online grocers
Designed by Andrew Parkinson + Thomas Parkinson, 1989
84. Disney MagicBand - allowed quick access to a user’s digital wallet, acted as a hotel room and photo pass, and signaled to beloved Disney characters to greet the children as they made their way through the park.
Designed by Frog Design, 2013
85. Volkswagen Type 2
Designed by Ben Pon, 1950
86. Unix OS
Designed by Bell Labs (Ken Thompson + Dennis Ritchie), 1970
87. Ray-Ban Wayfarer
Designed by Raymond Stegeman, 1952
88. Stokke Tripp Trapp - chair that grows with a child.
Designed by Peter Opsvik, 1972
89. Aravind Eye Hospitals
Designed by Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, 1976
90. Bitcoin
Designed by Satoshi Nakamoto, 2009
91. National Park Map - systems-based information design about national treasures in the USA
Designed by Massimo + Lella Vignelli, 1977
92. Porsche 911
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, 1963
93. Teema Tableware - Every Teema piece is oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
Designed by Kaj Franck, 1952
94. LINN Sondek LP12 - the gold standard of home audiophiles.
Designed by Edgar Villchur, 1972
100. Blackwing 602 Pencil - “Half the pressure, twice the speed.”
Designed by Eberhard Faber, 1934
The 2020 list -
1. iPhone
Designed by Apple, 2007
2. Macintosh - defined the personal computer category
Designed by Apple, 1984
3. Google Search Engine
Designed by Google, 1997
4. Eames Fiberglass Armchair
Designed by Ray + Charles Eames, 1950
5. Sony Walkman TPS-L2
Designed by Norio Ohga, 1979
6. OXO Good Grips Peeler - an ergonomically superior peeler that Farber created for his arthritic wife.
Designed by Sam Farber + Smart Design, 1990
7. Uber Rideshare
Designed by Uber, 2009
8. Netflix Streaming
Designed by Netflix, 1997
9. Lego Building Blocks - 75 billion pieces are made annually
Designed by Lego + Hilary Fisher Page, 1939
10. iPod - Put all your music in your pocket
Designed by Apple (Jonathan Ive), 2001
11. Google Maps
Designed by Where 2 Technologies, 2005
12. Apollo 11 Mission
Designed by NASA, 1969
13. Akari Lamp 1A
Designed by Isamu Noguchi, 1951
14. MacBook Pro
Designed by Apple (Jonathan Ive), 2006
15. Post-it Notes
Designed by 3M (Spencer Silver + Arthur Fry), 1977
16. Boeing 747
Designed by Joe Sutter + Boeing Team, 1970
17. Polaroid SX-70
Designed by James Gilbert Baker + Edwin Herbert Land, 1972
18. Model S Sedan
Designed by Tesla (Franz von Holzhausen), 2012
19. Nokia 3210 - The first phone to sell more than 100 million units.
Designed by Alastair Curtis, 1999
20. Savoy Vase - Each and every vase in the Alvar Aalto Collection continues to be mouth blown at the Iittala factory in Finland
Designed by Alvar + Aino Aalto, 1972
21. Philips Hue Lighting System
Designed by Philips (Signify), 2012
22. App Store
Designed by Apple, 2008
23. Spotify
Designed by Spotify, 2006
24. Amazon Prime
Designed by Amazon, 2005
25. Muji Rice Cooker
Designed by Naoto Fukasawa, 2014
26. Airbnb
Designed by Airbnb, 2008
27. Wikipedia
Designed by Wikipedia, 2001
28. NYC Subway Map - simplified, color-coded abstraction of the sprawling transit system of New York City
Designed by Unimark (Massimo Vignelli), 1972
29. iOS - A mobile operating system installed on 1.5 billion devices.
Designed by Apple, 2007
30. Shinkansen - Japan’s bullet trains reach 200 mph and have recorded zero passenger fatalities.
Designed by Japanese National Railways, 1964
31. WeChat - Integrates a host of essential mobile apps
Designed by Tencent (Zhang Xiaolong), 2011
32. Nest Learning Thermostat - A thermostat that programs itself
Designed by Nest Labs (Tony Fadell), 2011
33. 606 Shelving System - Modular shelving that works anywhere and holds anything.
Designed by Vitsoe (Dieter Rams), 1960
34. Skype - A videochat service so successful that it’s become a verb: to Skype.
Designed by Skype, 2003
35. Modern Classics - Designed to cost no more than a pack of cigarettes and fit in a pocket.
Designed by Penguin (Jan Tschichold), 1952
36. ClearRX - Clearly labeled drug containers use color coding and clever design to aid patient safety.
Designed by Deborah Adler, 2005
37. Mobike - An elegant solution to the “last mile” problem: the first cashless, dockless bike share.
Designed by Beijing Mobile Bike Technology, 2015
38. Round Thermostat - the humble round thermostat
Designed by Honeywell (Henry Dreyfuss), 1953
39. Stool 60 - “A seat, table, storage unit; democratic, cheap, stackable.”
Designed by Artek (Alvar Aalto), 1933
40. Facebook
Designed by Facebook, 2003
41. Billy Bookcase
Designed by IKEA, 1979
42. Pride Flag - Iconic rainbow ..for LGBTQ+ people
Designed by Gilbert Baker, 1979
43. Lia Pregnancy Test - a home pregnancy test produced from paper that disintegrates in water, offering more privacy for women and less plastic waste
Designed by Bethany Edwards + Anna Simpson, 2017
44. Super Mario Bros. - “A masterpiece of horizontal scroll action. Contributed to massive expansion of the gaming industry..”
Designed by Nintendo (Shigeru Miyamoto), 1985
45. Vélib’ Bike Service - Paris’s e-bike share
Designed by JCDecaux, 2007
46. Apple Watch
Designed by Apple, 2015
47. Bialetti Moka Pot - coffee pot that's easy to use on a gas or electric stove.
Designed by Alfonso Bialetti, 1933
48. Poäng - Ikea continues to sell about 1.5 million of these elegant-yet-affordable chairs annually.
Designed by Ikea (Noboru Nakamura), 1974
49. Volkswagen Beetle - Commissioned by Adolf Hitler to be an affordable “people’s car” for the citizens of the Third Reich
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, 1938
50. Microsoft Office
Designed by Microsoft, 1990
51. Tupperware
Designed by Earl Tupper, 1948
52. View-Master Model F
Designed by Chuck Harrison, 1958
53. LifeStraw - A drinking straw with a self-contained filtration system, LifeStraw has been deployed in disaster regions around the world and has provided safe water to millions.
Designed by Vestergaard Frandsen, 2005
54. Raspberry Pi - “A simple, single-board computer, designed to promote basic computer-science education in schools and developing countries."
Designed by Raspberry Pi Foundation, 2012
55. Flex-Foot - carbon graphite prosthesis allows leg and foot amputees to run and jump by storing and releasing kinetic energy like a spring.
Designed by Van Phillips, 1971
56. Novel Hospital Toys
Designed by Hikaru Imamura, 2012
57. Life Magazine - turned the medium of magazine on its head by putting more emphasis on photography than words.
Designed by Time Inc., 1936
58. Leica M3 - its super-bright combined viewfinder and rangefinder allowed photographers to better understand the images they would capture on film before clicking the shutter.
Designed by Ernst Leitz, 1954
59. Olivetti Lettera 32 Typewriter
Designed by Marcello Nizzoli, 1963
60. Airtable - online group-collaboration tool
Designed by Airtable, 2012
61. Forever Stamps
Designed by United States Postal Service, 2006
62. Telephone Area Code
Designed by Bell Labs (Ladislav Sutnar), 1947
63. Braun Calculator
Designed by Braun (Dieter Rams + Dietrich Lubs), 1987
64. Apple Pay
Designed by Apple, 2014
65. Flyknit - knitting process creates a running shoe upper that is virtually seamless, highly breathable, and hugs the foot like a sock.
Designed by Nike, 2008
66. Orange-Handled Shears - ergonomic, plastic-handled scissor
Designed by Fiskars, 1967
67. Pokémon
Designed by Satoshi Tajiri, 1989
68. EpiPen - safely and simply delivered a dose of epinephrine (adrenaline) into a patient experiencing anaphylaxis.
Designed by Mylan, 1987
69. Medical Drones
Designed by Zipline, 2014
70. Geodesic Dome - formula to construct a robust domed shelter
Designed by Buckminster Fuller, 1948
71. Tampon
Designed by Earle Haas, 1933
72. 23 & Me - DNA testing
Designed by Linda Avey, Paul Cusenza, Anne Wojcicki, 2006
73. Dyson Bagless - vacuum cleaner
Designed by James Dyson, 1980
74. Netscape Browser
Designed by AOL, 2005
75. Futura Typeface
Designed by Paul Renner, 1927
76. SUICA - rechargeable, contactless payment card for Japanese train lines.
Designed by JR East, 2001
77. Air Jordan 1 - design that took basketball shoes from the court to the streets and into pop culture.
Designed by Nike (Peter C. Moore), 1984
78. Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool - 14 tools in one
Designed by Tim Leatherman, 1983
79. Box Chair - tubular metal and perforated plastic
Designed by Enzo Mari, 1971
80. Ultra Light Down
Designed by Uniqlo, 2011
81. Havaianas -first rubber flip-flop
Designed by Robert Fraser, 1966
82. Womb Chair
Designed by Eero Saarinen, 1948
83. PeaPod - one of the original online grocers
Designed by Andrew Parkinson + Thomas Parkinson, 1989
84. Disney MagicBand - allowed quick access to a user’s digital wallet, acted as a hotel room and photo pass, and signaled to beloved Disney characters to greet the children as they made their way through the park.
Designed by Frog Design, 2013
85. Volkswagen Type 2
Designed by Ben Pon, 1950
86. Unix OS
Designed by Bell Labs (Ken Thompson + Dennis Ritchie), 1970
87. Ray-Ban Wayfarer
Designed by Raymond Stegeman, 1952
88. Stokke Tripp Trapp - chair that grows with a child.
Designed by Peter Opsvik, 1972
89. Aravind Eye Hospitals
Designed by Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy, 1976
90. Bitcoin
Designed by Satoshi Nakamoto, 2009
91. National Park Map - systems-based information design about national treasures in the USA
Designed by Massimo + Lella Vignelli, 1977
92. Porsche 911
Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, 1963
93. Teema Tableware - Every Teema piece is oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
Designed by Kaj Franck, 1952
94. LINN Sondek LP12 - the gold standard of home audiophiles.
Designed by Edgar Villchur, 1972
95. Valentine Typewriter
Designed by Ettore Sottsass, 1969
96. IBM Logo
Designed by Paul Rand, 1956
97. Telephone Model 302
Designed by Henry Dreyfuss, 1937
98. Great Green Wall
Designed by Panafrican Agency of the Great Green Wall, 2007
99. IBM Mainframe
Designed by IBM (Eliot Noyes), 1952100. Blackwing 602 Pencil - “Half the pressure, twice the speed.”
Designed by Eberhard Faber, 1934
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