PA Consulting’s design teams honored as finalists in Fast Company 2021 Innovation by Design Awards

PA Consulting (PA), the consultancy that’s bringing ingenuity to life, is proud to announce that three projects developed by its award-winning designers have been honored as finalists in the Fast Company 2021 Innovation by Design Awards.  

The design for Backbone One, an iPhone centered mobile gaming controller, was named a finalist in the Products category. Wildtype, a company reinventing the future of seafood, was named a finalist in the Graphic Design category and received an honorable mention in the General Excellence and Branding categories. Additionally, TeakOrigin, a food data start-up, was named a finalist in the General Excellence category.

The design team at PA helped Backbone define and design the best mobile gaming experience by turning the iPhone into the industry’s leading mobile gaming experience. They collaborated with Backbone to provide research, prototyping and ingenious product design, making the controls feel natural and inviting for experienced and casual console gamers alike. For Wildtype, the team designed the brand identity system, digital social strategy and personable key art to help the company bypass the stigma of other lab grown meat and lead the way to cell-agriculture protein for all. The team worked with TeakOrigin to rapidly research, validate and launch an innovative business model to expand market opportunities, providing a unique mix of expertise in consumer, food technology, brand strategy, commercial innovation, customer insights, go-to-market and channel strategy, design, digital prototyping, sustainability and supply chain. PA’s design teams have been growing in recent years following the acquisitions of Astro Studios and Essential Design, whose team members were integral in PA receiving these accolades.

The Innovation by Design awards recognize people, teams, and companies that transform businesses, organizations, and society through design. One of the most sought-after design awards in the industry, Innovation by Design is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation, recognizing the people, companies, and trends that have steadily advanced design to the forefront of the business conversation.

Brett Lovelady, consumer design expert at PA, said: “We believe in improving the human experience by design and love working with world changing clients and companies. We are extremely proud that two emerging start-up programs, Backbone and Wildtype, have been recognized in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design 2021 competition.”

Richard Watson, design expert at PA, said: “We are so proud of the TeakOrigin project and are honored to be listed as a Finalist by Fast Company. Together the TeakOrigin and Essential Design teams created a platform that will revolutionize the way consumers and companies purchase fresh food, enabling a better, and healthier, food buying experience.”

John Edson, US Head of Design and Engineering at PA, added: “PA’s global design and engineering team bring together decades of experiences realizing design centric innovations for clients. It’s fabulous that the Backbone, Wildtype, and TeakOrigin projects have been recognized by Fast Company. Many congratulations to the teams who contributed to these amazing projects.”

Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company, said: “Design is not just a beauty contest. It’s something that can change the world and create solutions in a time when we face pressing global issues such as systemic racism, climate change, and a global pandemic. Many of these entries showcase these challenges while providing hope for the future through their steadfast commitment to elevate design.”

To see the complete list, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/innovation-by-design/2021

Notes to editors

Honorees for the 2021 Innovation by Design awards were selected in the following categories: Apps and Games; Cities; Data Design; Design Company of the Year; Experimental; Fashion and Beauty; Finance; General Excellence; Graphic Design; Health; Home; Learning; Mobility; Packaging; Products; Retail Innovation; Social Good; Spaces and Places; Sports and Recreation; Students; Sustainability; User Experience; Wellness; Workplace; Best Design Asia-Pacific; Best Design Europe, Best Design Middle East, and Best Design Africa; Best Design Latin America; and Best Design North America. New categories included Advertising, Branding, Impact, Materials, Pandemic Response, Real Estate, and Years in Business.

The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.