2025

Design Awards Silver Winner - Can Ge

APEX - Reimagining Civic Engagement Through AR

Entrant Company

Can Ge

Category

User Experience (UX) - Augmented Reality UX (NEW)

Client's Name

City of Berkeley

Country / Region:

United States

Apex AR is an augmented reality app designed to revolutionize civic engagement by making city planning more accessible, interactive, and democratic. Created for the City of Berkeley, this project aims to bridge the gap between urban development and community involvement through immersive technology.

The app offers two key features: 1. Government-to-Citizen: Residents can view upcoming public infrastructure or development projects in real-world AR overlays, such as new bike lanes, parks, or housing, and vote or leave feedback directly in the app. 2. Citizen-to-Government: Community members can propose simple grassroots ideas in specific physical locations, like a new bench, streetlight, or mini garden. These suggestions appear as AR objects for others to vote on. Highly endorsed ideas are forwarded to city planners for review and possible implementation.

Traditional civic processes are often bureaucratic, opaque, and disconnected from the public. Apex AR tackles this problem by putting visual, place-based decision-making directly into people’s hands. A pilot program was successfully conducted in downtown Berkeley in 2024. Participants interacted with AR visualizations of proposed urban upgrades and voted via the app. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with users praising its ease of use and sense of empowerment. The full version of Apex AR is currently under development, with plans for wider deployment across several city districts.

By reimagining how residents see and shape their cities, Apex AR brings participatory urban design into the 21st century.

Credits

Product Designer
Can Ge
More Silver Winners
2025
Design Awards Winner - Lesley Studio - Life#2

Entrant Company

Lesley Studio

Category

Baby, Kids & Children - Gifts

Country / Region

United States

2025
Design Awards Winner - Seung Keun Kim - Fuse

Entrant Company

Seung Keun Kim

Category

Conceptual - Home Interior

Country / Region

United States

2025
Design Awards Winner - NightBlazr Limited - Unleash the night with NightBlazr
NightBlazr Limited

Entrant Company

NightBlazr Limited

Category

Outdoor & Sports Equipment - Bicycles & Bicycle Accessories

Country / Region

United Kingdom

2025
Design Awards Winner - GE HealthCare - Ethos Design System (EDS)

Entrant Company

GE HealthCare

Category

Interface & User Experience - User Interface (UI)

Country / Region

United States