Apple’s Liquid Glass design for iOS 26 has picked up major recognition from one of the design industry’s oldest award organizations, giving the company another reason to stand behind its controversial visual redesign introduced last year.
The Art Directors Club Annual Awards recognized Apple’s Liquid Glass interface with four awards, including a Gold Cube in the Interactive / UX / UI category. The redesign also received a Silver Cube for Experiential Design / Digital Experiences and two Bronze Cubes for Consumer Experience and Innovation.
The awards arrive at an important moment for Apple because Liquid Glass continues to divide iPhone users almost a year after its debut. While some users praised the cleaner animations, layered transparency effects, and dynamic app visuals, others criticized readability and consistency across certain system apps. Even so, Apple has largely kept the design direction intact heading into iOS 27.
The Art Directors Club highlighted the importance of craftsmanship and artistic quality behind the awards.
“Founded by the Art Directors Club in 1921, ADC is the longest continuously running industry award show in the world. Now heading into its incredible 105th year, these awards celebrate the very best in advertising, digital media, brand / communication design, book design, magazine / newspaper design, packaging and product design, motion, gaming, experiential design and architecture, photography, illustration and typography / lettering, all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship.”
Liquid Glass remains central to Apple’s software identity
Apple introduced Liquid Glass as the centerpiece of iOS 26, bringing more depth, translucency, and motion across the iPhone interface. The company is expected to refine parts of the experience in iOS 27, but current reports suggest Apple does not plan major visual changes.
The “Interactive / UX / UI” Gold Cube win also signals that the broader design industry sees Liquid Glass very differently from some online criticism, especially as Apple continues building its future software identity around the same visual language.
