10 iF design award 2021 winners stimulate learning, teaching & parenting

from a two-in-one stroller and bike seat to an app that brings doodles to life, the winners of iF design award 2021 aim to nurture children education and health in ways never seen before. the sensitive topic, which has become even more layered as a result of the pandemic, includes fun yet practical methods that prompts learning, teaching and parenting practices to continue to adapt and grow. hundreds of designers from countries all over the world use smart technologies and ingenious original designs that allow families to teach and learn from each other. 

to celebrate the beautiful world of knowledge, designboom picks 10 iF design award 2021 winning projects that best showcase fun ways of learning, teaching and parenting.

name: påhoj
brand: påhoj AB
designers: lycke von schantz
award: iF gold award

the two-in-one product can really turn a day out around. ‘påhoj’ is a swedish design bike seat that can turn into a stroller in a second. for all those cyclist parents who dream about biking into town with their children on a sunny day, now get the chance. påhoj’s dual functionality is fun, practical and allows both parents and child to enjoy their bike ride.

name: rakugakiAR
brand: whatever inc.

‘rakugakiAR’ can possibly make dreams come true. the japanese app makes children’s doodles and sketches come alive. whether drawn in a notebook, whiteboard or any other surface, the app scans and lets imagination run wild, literally. as the drawings start to move and run into virtual space, children can poke, feed or even tease them a little.

name: design movement on campus
brand: taiwan design research institute (TDRI)
award: iF gold winner

with the aim to nurture students’ aesthetic sense through design, the ‘design movement on campus’ architectural project offers an opportunity to improve the constructs of education. the innovative design targets the public artistic sense and issues through specific actions to help provoke the conceptual transformation of an influential aesthetic ecosystem.

name: reLEF
brand: compal experience design

‘reLEF’ or remote-learning-for-every-family makes home-learning easy, smart and, most importantly, affordable. as the taiwanese device strips away all fancy components of a PC, the price is economical for any family. reLEF cleverly uses the TV already in people’s homes, reallocating the costs saved by the display into a high-quality camera that be angled in any desired direction. online classes, free software and various tools can all be accessed through wi-fi. the personalized teaching device comes in recycled plastic in a variety of bright colors.

name: sento kids
designers: gurol erkal, erdem akan
brand: eczacibasi building products

turkish bathroom collection ‘sento kids’ levels up with children’s growing rate. with a focus on toilet use at the two milestone development ages of 3-5 and 5-6 years old, the products take age, gender, height, weight and knee heights into consideration. for an even more age appropriate take, the various color palette combinations encourage children to see the bathroom as a safe and friendly environment.

name: färska creative cot series
designers: junya matsumoto
brand: grandoir international ltd.

born from japan’s compact lifestyle, ‘färska creative cot’ series adapts to human growth from infancy to adulthood. the adaptable crib solves both the problem of babies outgrowing products as well as living space availability. the crib is essentially sustainable, being friendly to both humans and the environment, and extending the product lifecycle.

name: piggy nebulizer compressor
designers: shenzhen AOJ medical technology, jing xu, yongjie gao, junjie wen
brand: shenzhen hurconn medical technology

probably one of the most fun health-related devices designed. the chinese ‘piggy nebulizer compressor’ is specially designed to assist parents whose children suffer respiratory problems. the sense of play through the functional features camouflaged as pig eyes, nose and tail to comfort for the child patient. for night use, the technology ensures a quiet operation letting the child continue its peaceful sleep.

name: leoleo
brand: leea toys

the hyper-functional and playful piece of furniture is designed for the care, education, skills development and entertainment of young children. romanian design ‘leoleo’ consists of several adjustable parts that can be rearranged in various ways, achieving always different uses. to make function broader, accessories can be added. overall, the chair can be turned into a desk, a slide/ramp, a blackboard, a rocking or high chair, and more.

name: mabot
designers: sheng zan
brand: bell edcation group

‘mabot’ is the educational toy in the list. the chinese product is based on ergonomics with elements, such as the brain, visual and tactile sense, presented in the form of intelligent modularization. kids can combine and assemble various parts without limitation, thereby satisfying their thirst of knowledge and learning creativity, whilst practising computational and programming thinking.

name: dymla ONE
designers: maarten sietzema
brand: dymla AB

we could not exclude the world’s first portable air purifier. designed to safeguard infants from air pollution and viruses, ‘dymla ONE’ catches up to 98,98% of harmful particles to help reduce the risk of infections. its compact size allows it to fit into the cot on airplanes, as well as supermarket strollers. therefore, its easy transportation, whether in crowded places or in long travel distances, makes the parent feel safe that their child is always breathing clean air.

as the collaboration with designboom continues, more and more winners from the 2021 version of iF design award continue to be announced! an elaborate international jury individually reviews thousands of projects, from which we highlight our top picks as projects earning the prestigious iF gold award are included. we continue to showcase inspiring, creative and intelligent projects that respond to a wide selection of themes. to see the full curation of iF design award 2021 winners, click here.

did we grab your attention? showcasing the ‘creatiFe power of design’, registration for iF design award 2022 is now open, here.