Rightware is proud to announce that Kanzi Design has won the iF Design Award 2026 in the User Experience (UX), Vehicle & Mobility category for its groundbreaking automotive HMI platform, AquaDrive AIOS 1.0, developed for client ThunderSoft.
| Award | iF Design Award 2026 |
| Winner | Kanzi Design |
| Company | Rightware Oy |
| Client | ThunderSoft |
| Category | User Experience (UX), Vehicle & Mobility |
This recognition is a public commendation for the Kanzi Design team, acknowledging their world-class skills and knowledge in automotive HMI design. It marks a significant milestone for the Kanzi ecosystem, reinforcing its position as a global leader in intelligent mobility and digital cockpit innovation.
AquaDrive AIOS 1.0 showcases the next generation of in-vehicle user experience. Built on Kanzi's innovative and production-proven architecture, the platform delivers:
The iF Design Award entry created by Kanzi Design included a unified camera transition framework, 8K-capable real-time rendering, and adaptive UI scaling across multi-screen layouts — technical achievements that translate directly into the premium, differentiated experiences that automotive OEMs and consumers expect from the next generation of smart cockpits.
The iF Design Award is one of the world's most respected and competitive design competitions. Established in 1954, it is widely regarded as a global benchmark for exceptional design quality.
Each year, an independent panel of international experts conducts a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process, assessing thousands of submissions across criteria including innovation, functionality, aesthetics, and user experience.
In 2026, more than 10,000 entries were submitted from leading brands and designers around the world — making Kanzi Design's win an outstanding accomplishment.
Winning the iF Design Award 2026 is a statement of Kanzi Design's outstanding capabilities in automotive UX.
Their dedication, creativity, and technical excellence continue to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with automotive HMIs. Their leadership is setting the standard for others to follow, and their work will continue to influence the future direction of intelligent mobility worldwide.
Rightware is the pioneering provider of automotive graphics software tools and services. Uniquely positioned with foundations in gaming, graphics, and UI development, and laser-focused on the automotive industry, Rightware's Kanzi One all-in-one HMI toolchain enables automotive OEMs to deliver the best user experience for their customers — transforming the traditional HMI into a real Signature UI.
This mission is supported by a worldwide design and services organization with an unmatched track record of successful production projects. Headquartered in Finland, Rightware has a presence in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the USA.
As a ThunderSoft company, the combined skills and assets of both organizations deliver fully integrated HMI solutions, engineering support, and design services anywhere in the world. Kanzi One is the market-leading automotive UI tool, trusted by over 50 automotive brands around the globe.
Original announcement published March 5, 2026 — rightware.com/blog/kanzi-design-wins-if-design-award
