In 1959, Fortune partnered with Jay Doblin, the director of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), to take on the daunting task of identifying the 100 greatest designs of the modern era.
Back then, the typewriter took the top spot, followed by the Eames Side Chair. The Barcelona Chair came in third.
It was a good year for chairs.
60 years later, and they’ve done it again, with a look at which modern designs deserve high praise:
In 2019, to recognize the 60-year anniversary of the original list, Fortune partnered with the IIT Institute of Design (ID), now under the deanship of Denis Weil, to re-create the survey. Following Doblin’s methodology as closely as possible—with some sensible modern tweaks—ID polled educators, influencers, freelance designers, and corporate design teams on the creations they consider truly great.
Let’s take a look at the top five:
1. Apple iPhone
No other design object has changed the world in recent history – or arguably, the last 100 years – more than the iPhone.
“From a longevity and cradle-to-cradle standpoint, the fact remains, the iPhone is the highest impact device of our times and has transformed not just how we communicate, but how we live”. – Spencer Bailey, Phaidon
You’ll find no argument from us. If you want to get your hands on this incredible piece of technology, you’ll find it and other expertly designed Apple products at Digicape.
2. Macintosh
Apple snaps up second place as well with the Apple Mac.
“This product changed the way we understand and use computers. The Macintosh was not the first personal computer, nor was it the first one with a graphical user interface, but it was the first complete product that took all these ideas and more into a complete package. It became a computer one could understand and use using both language and vision, typing and drawing. It changed the way we relate to a computer.” – John Redstrom, Umeå University
Over the years, the Mac has achieved new levels of efficiency and user accessibility. It just keeps getting better.
3. Google Search Engine
If you want to know something, you Google it.
“Google put a minimalist, insanely powerful interface on the entire internet, empowering all of us to find anything and everything within the vast Web universe. This force – magnifying access to such a broad and deep collection of information has created a step change in human evolution”. – David Kelley, Uber
I can’t imagine a world without it.
4. Eames DAR Chair
Moving away from the digital world, we have the Eames DAR Chair.
“Launched to the market in 1950, the Eames plastic armchair and plastic side chair created a new, highly customizable typology that has become widespread in the six decades since. Not only are the chairs long – lasting; they’re also beautiful. I rarely use the word “timeless”” when talking about design, but with the Eames chair, it’s an apt description”. – Spencer Bailey, Phaidon
It’s one of the most recognisable chairs in the world and the epitome of innovative furniture design.
5. Sony Walkman
I remember my first Sony Walkman. It allowed me to listen to my music without my parents complaining and I used it long after the compact disk was invented.
“Sony’s portable cassette player changed listening habits by enabling people to listen to music on the move, adding a personal soundtrack to your everyday life”. – Bas van de Poel, Space 10
It also significantly improved the journey to and from work on public transport, for everyone.
To check out all 100 designs, visit the Institute of Design’s website.
We’ve come a long way since the humble typewriter.
