Apple's Vision Pro is intended to be a paradigm shift for 'Spatial Computing', but it's still US-only - at least until WWDC 2024, where we're expecting a reveal of additional regions the headset will be available.
We were impressed when we went hands-on, though, and it appears we weren't the only ones. Despite not being launched in the UK yet, the Apple Vision Pro has won the Black Pencil Award from the UK's Design and Art Direction awards, as well as the Graphite Pencil for Use of XR.
Apple designer Alan Dye attended the event, and told Dezeen magazine "We are honored that visionOS has been awarded the prestigious D&AD Black Pencil for Digital Design."
"This new era of computing will redefine how we connect and create, and this award is a testament to the tight integration and care the design studio and engineering teams at Apple have invested into crafting a truly magical experience," he continued.
"At Apple, design plays such a central role in defining not only how our products look, but most critically, how they work."
"Our goal has always been to create intuitive user experiences that blur the lines between hardware and software and reimagine how users interact with technology."
"VisionOS is a powerful example of these principles in action" Dye explained. "Designed from the ground up, it features an entirely new interface, driven by your eyes, hands and voice, all designed to deliver spatial experiences that seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world."
"This new era of computing will redefine how we connect and create, and this award is a testament to the tight integration and care the design studio and engineering teams at Apple have invested into crafting a truly magical experience."
Apple's history with the Black Pencil award
Apple is no stranger to the award, which was awarded because "Vision Pro and visionOS unlock new ways to interact with technology and the world through spatial computing," according to the announcement.
"Years in the making, the platform is full of technological breakthroughs made possible by the tight integration between design and engineering teams across hardware and software."
Previous winners have included the original iPhone, the iMac, Apple's website, and even Apple's design team in its entirety in 2012 (thanks, AppleInsider).
Apple's win follows less than two weeks after criticism of its iPad-crushing ad for the new iPad Pro, which many took to be in opposition to creativity.
