Visa is widening its aperture. In a new ad for the financial services company narrated by Ryan Reynolds that’s set on a haunted desert island, the company is pitching itself not just for everywhere you want to be anymore, but everywhere you don’t want to be.
“True story: we actually pitched this campaign idea to Visa years ago and it kind of went nowhere,” Reynolds tells Fast Company. “Lots of time brands will come to us and say ‘scare us’ and then we do and they run away screaming. It wasn’t until early this year when I got connected to [Visa CMO] Frank [Cooper] and I half jokingly told him we had worked on this idea and he was like . . . wait a second . . .”
The spot, by the production company Maximum Effort that Reynolds and George Dewey cofounded in 2018, imagines Fyre Fest but spookier. The failed music festival is a zombie brand that sold its brand assets in July on eBay for $245,300 to a mystery buyer. Its value isn’t in putting on a successful music festival, but for the meme of it all.
Though Visa didn’t buy the name, they’re using it in the ad to set the tone. As the camera zooms through the scene, an actual zombie pops out of the sand, and when the viewer is brought to the shore, they learn the only way off the island is via a man with a boat named Rusty. “And he does not take emotional distress,” Reynolds says in the voice over. But Rusty does, however, take Visa.
Reynolds then closes out the ad with Visa’s slogan “everywhere you want to be,” and follows it up with his subversive twist, “and some places you really don’t.”
Reynolds calls the process of creating the ad “fairly simple”: “Take an iconic positioning and try to bring new life to it with a simple subversion. It’s core to how we think at Maximum Effort,” he says. The zeitgeisty production company is behind ads for brands like Mint Mobile, Netflix, and July’s quick-turnaround video for Astronomer starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and now it’s bringing humor to the staid payments category.
A new twist on an old slogan
Visa used the slogan, “It’s everywhere you want to be” from 1985 to 2006 and brought it back in shortened form in 2014 as just “Everywhere you want to be.” The slogan was about connecting the brand to experiences, Cooper, Visa’s CMO says.
“Everywhere you want to be was closely connected to the idea of cross-border travel, which is one of the major areas for transactions for Visa,” he says. But now the company is looking to expand on it.
“People want solutions to two things,” Cooper says. “Problems and dreams, and so we gave them the dreams part.” The new version of the slogan is about solving problems.
Visa, which reported reported $10.2 billion net revenue in the most recent quarter, faces a shifting payments landscape where upstart buy-now-pay-later services like Affirm and Klarna compete now with longtime consumer finance giants. In tapping Reynolds, referencing Fyre Fest, and playing with humor, Visa is looking to compete on new ground.
“Historically, humor has not played a central role in the brand,” Cooper says. “I think the view has been in financial services overalland even in paymentsthat, hey, this is a very serious category.”
But the serious approach is taking a backseat in a world where attention is the ultimate currency.
“In a world where we’re battling for attention, and the hardest part is having the stopping power . . . humor is is a great angle in,” Cooper says.
In a sign of how unusual this week’s Federal Reserve meeting is, the decision it will make on interest rates usually the main event is just one of the key unknowns to be resolved when officials gather Tuesday and Wednesday.For now, it’s not even clear who will be there. The meeting will likely include Lisa Cook, an embattled governor, unless an appeals court or the Supreme Court rules in favor of an effort by President Donald Trump to remove her from office. And it will probably include Stephen Miran, a top White House economic aide whom Trump has nominated to fill an empty seat on the Fed’s board. But those questions may not be resolved until late Monday.Meanwhile, the U.S. economy is mired in uncertainty. Hiring has slowed sharply, while inflation remains stubbornly high.So a key question for the Fed is: Do they worry more about people who are out of work and struggling to find jobs, or do they focus more on the struggles many Americans face in keeping up with rising costs for groceries and other items? The Fed’s mandate from Congress requires it to seek both stable prices and full employment.For now, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed policymakers have signaled the Fed is more concerned about weaker hiring, a key reason investors expect the central bank will reduce its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point on Wednesday to about 4.1%.Still, stubbornly high inflation may force them to proceed slowly and limit how many reductions they make. The central bank will also release its quarterly economic projections Wednesday, and economists project they will show that policymakers expect one or two additional cuts this year, plus several more next year.Ellen Meade, an economics professor at Duke University and former senior economist at the Fed, said it’s a stark contrast to the early pandemic, when it was clear the Fed had to rapidly reduce rates to boost the economy. And when inflation surged in 2021 and 2022, it was also a straightforward call for the Fed, which moved quickly to raise borrowing costs to combat higher prices.But now, “it’s a tough time,” Meade said. “It would be a tough time, even if the politics and the whole thing weren’t going on the way they are, it would be a tough time. Some people would want to cut, some people would not want to cut.”Amid all the economic uncertainty, Trump is applying unprecedented political pressure on the Fed, demanding sharply lower rates, seeking to fire Cook, and insulting Powell, whom he has called a “numbskull,” “fool,” and “moron.”Loretta Mester, a former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and finance professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, said that Fed officials won’t let the criticisms sway their decisions on policy. Still, the attacks are unfortunate, she said, because they threaten to undermine the Fed’s credibility with the public.“Added to their list of the difficulty of making policy because of how the economy is performing, they also have to contend with the fact that there may be some of the public that’s skeptical about how they’ve gone about making their decisions,” she said.David Andolfatto, an economics professor at the University of Miami and former top economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said that presidents have pressured Fed chairs before, but never as personally or publicly.“What’s unusual about this is the level of open disrespect and just childishness,” Andolfatto said. “I mean, this is just beyond the pale.”There are typically 12 officials who vote on the Fed’s policies at each meeting the seven members of the Fed’s board of governors, as well as five of the 12 regional bank presidents, who vote on a rotating basis.If a court rules that Cook can be fired, or Miran isn’t approved in time, then just 11 officials will vote on Wednesday. Either way, there ought to be enough votes to approve a quarter-point cut, but there could be an unusual amount of division.Miran, if he is on the board, and Governor Michelle Bowman may dissent in opposition to a quarter-point reduction in favor of a steeper half-point cut.There could be additional dissenting votes in the other direction, potentially from regional bank presidents who might oppose any cuts at all. Beth Hammack, president of the Fed’s Cleveland branch, and Jeffrey Schmid, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, have both expressed concern that inflation has topped the Fed’s 2% targer for more than four years and is still elevated. If either votes against a cut, it would be the first time there were dissents in both directions from a Fed decision since 2019.“This degree of division is unusual, but the circumstances are unusual, too,” Andolfatto said. “This is a situation central banks really don’t like: The combination of inflationary pressure and labor market weakness.”Hiring has slowed in recent months, with employers shedding 13,000 jobs in June and adding just 22,000 in August, the government reported earlier this month. And last week a preliminary report from the Labor Department showed that companies added far fewer jobs in the year ending in March than previously estimated.At the same time, inflation picked up a bit last month and remains above the Fed’s 2% target. According to the consumer price index, core prices excluding food and energy rose 3.1% in August compared with a year earlier.With inflation still elevated, the Fed may have to proceed slowly with any further cuts, which would likely further frustrate the Trump White House.“When you get to turning points, people can reasonably disagree about when to go,” Meade said.
Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer
Its a big day for iPhone owners around the world today. Thats because Apple will release the iPhones new iOS 26 operating system to the public.
iOS 26 sports the most significant redesign to the iPhones software in more than a decade, thanks to its new Liquid Glass design language, which makes the iPhones interface elements look like they are made of glass.
But iOS 26 features more than just a visual redesign. The new operating system is packed with everything from new AI capabilities to a revamped calling experience. And best of all, iOS 26 is a free download.
Heres what you need to know about iOS 26, including which iPhones support it and what time you can download it in countries around the world.
When does iOS 26 come out?
Apple never confirms an exact time that its new software will be made available to download on its devices. The company has only confirmed the date.
To that end, when Apple announced the new iPhones at last weeks annual iPhone event, the company also announced that the iPhones new iOS operating system would become available today, Monday, September 15.
However, based on Apples past software release schedules, we can also make a pretty good educated guess as to what time Apple will release iOS 26 to the public.
Apple generally likes to release its major software updates at 10 a.m. Pacific. We expect Apple to stick to this timeline today.
What time can I download iOS 26?
If Apple does indeed release iOS 26 at 10 a.m. PT today, most users in America will be able to install the update before the afternoon is over, if they so wish, since 10 a.m. PT on the West Coast is 1 p.m. ET on the East Eoast.
But if youre located outside of the continental United States, iOS 26 will become available at a later local time due to the time zone differences between Cupertino and other countries around the world.
With that in mind, here are the times iOS 26 should release to the public in other time zones and countries around the world:
Hawaii: 7 a.m.
Alaska: 9 a.m.
U.S./Canada Pacific (California, Arizona, Vancouver, etc.): 10 a.m.
U.S./Canada Mountain (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc): 11 a.m.
U.S./Canada Central (Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, etc): 12 noon
Columbia, Ecuador, Puru: 12 noon
U.S./Canada East (New York, North Carolina, Florida, Toronto, etc.): 1 p.m.
Bolivia; Manaus, Brazil; Venezuela: 1 p.m.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina: 3 p.m.
Iceland: 5 p.m.
United Kingdom, Portugal, Mali, Guinea: 6 p.m.
Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Algeria, Angola: 7 p.m.
Moscow, Russia; Finland; Turkey; Zambia; South Africa: 8 p.m.
Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Kenya: 9 p.m.
India: 10:30 p.m.
Laos, Cambodia, Thailand: 12 midnight, Tuesday, September 16
China; Singapore; Hong Kong; Perth, Australia: 1 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
Japan, South Korea: 2 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
Adelaide, Australia: 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
Sydney, Australia: 3 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
New Zealand: 5 a.m. Tuesday, September 16
What iPhones can I download iOS 26 on?
As long as you have a compatible iPhone, youll be able to install iOS 26 on it today. But before you do so, check out Fast Company‘s guide on how to get your iPhone ready for iOS 26. Once youve done that, you can install iOS 26 via your iPhones software update mechanism.
iPhones that support iOS 26 are:
iPhone 17
iPhone Air
iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (3rd generation)
iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Is Apple releasing other software today besides iOS 26?
iOS 26 isnt the only operating system that Apple is releasing to the public today. The company is also releasing updated operating systems for its other devices besides the iPhone. These operating systems include:
iPadOS 26 for the iPad
macOS 26 Tahoa for the Mac
tvOS 26 for the Apple TV
visionOS 26 for the Apple Vision Pro
watchOS 26 for the Apple Watch
You can download the above operating systems on their supported devices by running Software Update on those devices. These new OS’s should also become available at the same time that the iOS 26 update launches.
Nearly 9 out of 10 AI tools inside enterprises are invisible to IT. Thats the finding of a LayerX study that should send shivers down the spine of any executive: AI is shaping decisions, summarizing meetings, and analyzing data without the knowledgeor controlof the very teams meant to secure it. What sounds like a technical oversight has become a board-level crisis, worsened by new global regulations.
Last month, the EUs AI Act entered its next enforcement stage, forcing enterprises to document how general-purpose AI tools process data and threatening penalties of up to 35 million or 7% of global turnover. Yet weeks later, many organizations remain unprepared, struggling even to inventory which AI features are active in their environments. As regulators demand transparency, most enterprises cant meet the basic threshold of visibility.
That gap is where the real danger lies. AI isnt only the domain of headline-grabbing tools like ChatGPT; its embedded in the everyday software stack. Zoom can transcribe and summarize meetings, Salesforce can auto-generate reports, Slack can analyze conversations. These features arrive through silent updates, slipping under ITs radar while handling sensitive data.
The shadow AI crisis
Call it AI sprawl. Platforms ship smart features by default, leaving enterprises with dozenssometimes hundredsof parallel AI apps. IT teams often monitor only a fraction. A report from security platform Zluri found that four out of five AI tools inside enterprises are unmanaged, leaving leaders unsure what data they touch, whether they comply with retention rules, or if theyve been activated at all.
The danger lies in how AI arrives. It doesnt show up as new software IT can review. It slips in through automatic updates inside trusted apps. One day Slack is just a messaging platform; the next, its summarizing conversations and suggesting actions by default. Salesforce, Zoom, and Microsoft 365 are all adding similar capabilities, with little fanfare and no guarantee that compliance teams are aware.
Gal Nakash, cofounder and chief product officer at the SaaS security company Reco, warns that the real danger isnt in sanctioned AI tools but in the hidden ones that slip into everyday workflows. He notes that vendors regularly roll out new features inside apps like Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Slack, often without fanfare or IT oversight. “The real challenge isnt governing AI you know about,” he says. “Its discovering and securing the AI you dont even realize is there.
That discovery gap is what turns AI from productivity booster to liability. When features activate silently, they bypass procurement and security reviews. Sensitive data can be processed without oversight. If you cant see where AI lives in your stack, you cant govern its behavior or its output, Nakash says.
Why traditional governance is failing
Enterprise security tools werent built for this. They track software inventories and run quarterly reviews, but embedded AI arrives silently, as toggles and background features inside already-approved apps. The risk isnt new software; its new capability. Search that combs entire databases. Copilots that draft messages or summarize private docs by default.
New Reco data underscores the scale: 91% of AI tools inside enterprises operate without IT oversight, and 8.5% of employee prompts involve sensitive business data. That includes personal identifiers, customer details, even financials, all of which are processed by features security teams may not know are in fact turned on. “Traditional security tools operate on static inventories and periodic assessments,” Nakash notes. “They were built for the pre-AI era where changes happened slowly and visibly.”
In other words, the very tools companies trust to protect them are ill-equipped for a world where SaaS vendors can transform the capabilities of an approved app overnight. By the time traditional reviews catch up, sensitive data may already have been exposed.
Governance-first AI
Some companies are responding by embedding AI inside governance controls from the outset. LeapXperts communications intelligence solution, Maxen, is one such example. Instead of layering an LLM onto consumer chat apps, Maxen functions within enterprise guardrails. That means access is enforced at the user level, outputs are explainable and retained, and data stays within compliance perimeters.
Dima Gutzeit, CEO of LeapXpert, argues that many AI assistants are rushed into products as afterthoughts, prioritizing ease of use over accountability. Gutzeit says his company took the opposite approach, building AI into its compliance framework from the very start, with controls for access, explainability, and retention. We view AI as an integral part of the communications governance fabric, not an add-on, he adds.
For highly regulated industries like finance or healthcare, the stakes are high. A vague queryWhats the status of our largest deal?could cause an unsanctioned assistant to surface material nonpublic information to someone without clearance. Gutzeit says Maxens controls prevent that.
This governance-first model complements discovery tools. Enterprises still need visibility across SaaS platforms to spot hidden toggles and plug-ins. But assistants designed to respect audit and retention rules reduce the chance of sensitive data spilling into the wrong hands.
A transparency filled future?
The EUs enforcement cadence makes the risk unavoidable. The AI Act now requires transparency, documentation, and risk assessments for general-purpose AI, with even tougher obligations for models deemed systemic risks. And regulators have also introduced a voluntary code of practice, according to The Wall Street Journal, offering a preview of stricter enforcement ahead.
LeapXpert’s Gutzeit believes this will trigger a fundamental shift in how enterprises adopt AI. Silent AI features will no longer be tolerated,” he says. “Enterprises will require vendors to disclose how AI is being used, what data it draws on, and how outputs are retaine. Compliance-first strategies will replace AI-first adoption.
For executives, the message is clear: Waiting for perfect standards or a finalized audit checklist is not a strategy, and discovery must instead be continuous. And controls have to be built in from the start, not patched on after rollout.
The enterprises that will succeed with AI are those that treat governance as a competitive advantage, not a compliance burden, says Reco’s Nakash. When you build visibility and control into your AI strategy from day one, you’re not just managing risk; you’re creating the foundation for sustainable innovation at scale.”
The future depends on making AI transparent. If you cant see where its running or what its touching, you cant safeguard customers, comply with the law, or trust the insights it generates. The good news is that a path forward is emerging: real-time discovery across SaaS platforms combined with governance-first assistants that keep data contained. Thats how enterprises can embrace AI without losing control.
In just a month, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 and doom millions of PCs to obsolescence. For the refurbished tech vendor Back Market, that’s an opportunity.
This week, the Paris-based company is selling a limited run of old HP and Lenovo laptops for 99 euros, preinstalled with Google’s Chrome OS Flex operating system. The same laptops cost at least twice as much on Amazon with Windows 10 still installed.
The announcement itself is a marketing stuntBack Market only has about 50 of the old laptops availablebut Amandine Durr, Back Market’s chief product officer, says the company is serious about turning PCs that can’t run Windows 11 into a new product category. Back Market plans to add an “Obsolete” section to its online store by year’s end, including laptops loaded with either ChromeOS Flex or Ubuntu Linux.
“Those devices, we want people to keep loving them and using them, and there’s no reason why they should go to the landfills,” Durr says.
The Windows 10 e-waste crisis
When Microsoft announced Windows 11 in 2021, it introduced stricter upgrade requirements for existing PCs. The biggest roadblock is that PCs must support Trusted Platform Module 2.0, a special hardware component that keeps data encrypted and makes sure the computer hasn’t been tampered with. Microsoft has called TPM 2.0 a “non-negotiable standard for the future of Windows.”
The upshot is that even if PCs otherwise meet Microsoft’s performance requirements, they won’t be able to upgrade, including some that are less than 10 years old. Users of these PCs can either try elaborate work-arounds for the TPM 2.0 requirement, pay $30 (or jump through other hoops) for one more year of security updates, or risk being vulnerable to new security exploits.
One likely outcome is that a lot of perfectly fine PCs will get tossed. PIRG (a federation of independent public interest research groups) has estimated that 400 million PCs could be rendered obsolete by Windows 11’s hardware requirements, based on a 2022 analysis that showed 43% of PCs weren’t eligible to upgrade at the time. Canalys estimates that 240 million PCs would wind up in landfills due to the upgrade cutoff.
“The announcement from Microsoft is maybe the start of the most massive e-waste crisis in the world, so we want people to be aware of that,” Durr says.
Selling obsolete tech
Back Market isn’t yet ready to turn old Windows PCs into Chromebooks and Linux machines on a large scale. For now, it’s only working with a single refurbisher on a batch of 50 laptops, with just a few models available: HP’s EliteBook 840 G3 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad T460 and ThinkPad T470.
Durr says the plan is to expand over time as demand allows, gradually working with more refurbishers to replace Windows with a different operating system. Because they already have to factory-reset and reinstall Windows, she doesn’t believe it will be too burdensome to install ChromeOS Flex or Linux instead.
[Photo: Back Market]
“What matters for refurbishers and for sellers is the complexity of the process, and here we believe it’s minimal,” Durr says.
Still, a lot’s in flux at the moment. Back Market isn’t working with Google on the initiative, as anyone can install ChromeOS Flex on an existing PC. Durr also wouldn’t commit to selling $99 or 99 laptops in the future, as that ultimately depends on what’s available through refurbishers. But she says obsolete models will always sell at a significant discount.
Amandine Durr [Photo: Back Market]
In the meantime, Back Market also wants to educate users of old Windows PCs about the possibility of replacing the operating system themselves, with video tutorials that it plans to offer through its website. “The right laptop, the right device, is the one that you already have,” Durr says. “With this obsolete computer programand categoryyou are going to be able to keep it.”
“What we’re doing here is making sure there is the condition for the demand to exist, so that people will actually trust that these obsolete computers will work,” Durr says.
If those users decide that they’d rather buy an up-to-date laptop instead, Back Market will connect them to refurbishers who might want to buy the old laptop, so they can feed it back into the “Obsolete” market. With a limited run of 99 laptops, Back Market is hoping to spark some interest in that idea.
Fast-food and casual-dining chains are battling out over whose menu has the best value. IHOP hopes that the pancake houses $6 breakfast deal stacks up with the restaurant sectors best bargains.
McDonalds, Burger King, and Olive Garden have all recently unveiled discounted menu offerings as low- and middle-class consumers have been more loudly signaling that they are feeling pinched by inflation and anxiety about a weakening jobs market.
IHOPs new nationwide, everyday $6 value offering ($7 in some pricier markets) features four breakfast meals, ranging from a ham-and-cheese omelet thats paired with buttermilk pancakes to scrambled eggs with cheese and hickory-smoked bacon and served with hash browns.
Theres a clear message that guests want and need more value right now, says IHOP president Lawrence Kim during an interview with Fast Company.
The Everyday Value Menu kicks off Monday with a national advertising campaign that will run on linear TV and streaming platforms, in public spaces, and on social channels including TikTok and Instagram.
IHOPs new promotion flipped the marketing messaging from the chains prior all-day breakfast special, which was known as House Faves. The breakfast purveyor wanted to more clearly communicate the promo to diners with the word value. Both promotions were available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., but Faves excluded weekends. IHOPs Everyday offer will instead run every day, adding the chains two busiest traffic days.
We wanted to make the value menu simple to understand, Kim says.
The bigger value bet comes as IHOP has reported softer sales for more than a year. The chains parent company, Dine Brands, reported declines for IHOPs domestic system-wide comparable same-restaurant sales in fiscal 2024 and the first two quarters of fiscal 2025. IHOP has projected that for the current fiscal year, that metric will range between a decline of 1% to a growth of 1%.
During an earnings presentation to Wall Street analysts in August, Dine Brands CEO John Peyton said IHOP is seeing steady improvement in traffic and comp sales due to the expanded bet on a value menu, campaigns including an ad spot from this spring that featured NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., and a recent decision to bring social creative and content teams in-house to generate more engagement with Gen Z consumers.
Peyton said the recent pivot on the social strategy led IHOP to see a 400% increase in engagement, growing followers by 30% across TikTok and Meta on a quarter-to-quarter basis. All of these efforts, he promised, are keeping the brand relevant and well positioned for continued progress in the second half of the year.
[Photo: IHOP]
$6 vs. $16: The Price Gap IHOP Is Betting On
While Kim didnt share the average amount spent by an IHOP guest, the $6 offering is a considerable discount from standard menu items. In New York City, for example, four pumpkin spice pancakes are $10, while combo meals that feature French toast, pancakes, eggs, and other breakfast staples are $16 and higher.
Kim says the promotional offers were tested in several markets before launching nationally, as IHOP wanted to see a lift in traffic, overall sales, and restaurant profits. We proved success across all three of those metrics, he adds.
Kim says IHOPs decision to get more assertive on the value meal promotion was in part validated by his own ongoing listening tour, in which he visits restaurants in states including Ohio and New York and meets with servers, cooks, general managers, and customers. As he spent time with diners, Kim says that they would consistently tell him that they love IHOPs food and are pleased with the chains service. But consumers also shared that they were craving deals.
IHOPs ad spot was developed with ad agency Deutsch, which has also produced creative work for Taco Bell, Walmart, Nintendo, and Dr Pepper. Ryan Lehr, co-chief creative officer at Deutsch, says that the concept was focused on the different meanings of value.
Theres value in being able to have a breakfast for $6, but theres also the value of being able to reconnect with your family and friends, Lehr says.
The campaign was directed by Drew Kirsch, a filmmaker whose vibrant and colorful style has been seen in music videos starring Taylor Swift, Shakira, and Machine Gun Kelly. The visual portrays a whimsical dreamworld that features each of the four combos, with a backdrop depicting syrup streams, French toast mountains, and pancake umbrellas on a beach.
We didnt just want to talk about $6, says Kim, though that theme is consistently hit upon in the video, too. We wanted to make sure that it brings the IHOP memories and bonds to life in a very unique way.”
The Innovation by Design Awards celebrate the people and companies behind some of the worlds best and most thought-provoking design work. This year, Fast Company is recognizing nearly 300 projects that are shaping the world we live in for the better.
Every year, Fast Company’s editorial staff spends months poring over applications, vetting projects, and ultimately telling the stories of the best designs from the bunch. Here is a behind-the-scenes peek into how we make it happen.
METHODOLOGY
Nearly 2,000 applications were submitted to the 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. A team of staff editors and writers, alongside trusted freelancers and external expert judges, assessed each application based on our criteria, which include:
Functional: What problem does the design solve?
Logical: Does the design make sense? Does it work?
Impactful: Does a design make a difference in its users lives?
Beauty: Is it thoughtfully designed?
In a world of countless new products and serviceswhere it takes little more than an AI prompt to create something newwe believe there is only more value to the practice of design and applying a critical lens to this work, says Mark Wilson, Fast Companys global design editor. Our team of journalists judge each project on both its own merits and its greater cultural context. Through this process, we aim to surface the most relevant projectsthose that matter the most today and into the future.
Each winner is chosen after multiple rounds of judging and conversations about a designs role in the current cultural moment. This months-long process ensures that every project chosen to receive an Innovation by Design honor is representative of the best work in its field.
The North America category of Fast Companys Innovation by Design Awards honors the most innovative designs in North America. This years winner, ZGF Architects’ Portland International Airport expansion, features sustainably sourced wood roofing, transforming the terminal experience into something that feels more like a walk in a forest. See all of the honorees below.
[Photo: Ema Peter]
Finalists
Flyer Via Pro Electric BikeRadio Flyer
Orange County Sanitation District HeadquartersHDR
The Colossal Woolly MouseColossal Biosciences
Honorable Mentions
AbortionFinderPower to Decide and Citizen Tech Collective
AI Surgical Optimization PlatformeXeX
GridLinkXCharge North America
Obama.orgObama Foundation, Work & Co, part of Accenture Song, and Manual
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Explore the full list of companies creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The Latin America category of Fast Companys Innovation by Design Awards honors the most innovative designs from the Latin American region. This years winner, Brands&People’s rebrand for Moctezuma cement, is a redesign that transforms utilitarian cement packaging into art that pays homage to the culture and history of Mexico.
Finalist
AsMaraGerando Falces and Accenture Song
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Explore the full list of companies creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
The Europe, Middle East, and Africa design category of Fast Companys Innovation by Design Awards honors products, packaging, and built projects designed to eliminate waste and reuse resources. This year’s winner, 21st Europe’s Starline, is a provocative and comprehensive vision for a high-speed rail service that seamlessly connects 39 cities across Europe, vastly improving on an existing system plagued by cross-border inefficiencies.
Finalist
Kerlingarfjöll Highland BaseBlue Lagoon Iceland
Honorable Mention
NoliAccenture Song
This story is part of Fast Companys 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. Explore the full list of companies creating products, reimagining spaces, and working to design a better world. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
