INDEX is a non-profit network organization in Denmark that connects designers with businesses and institutions to make sure everyone stays well-informed in the field of “design to improve life” so that design can radiate out to affect the people who need it the most.

INDEX: AWARD is the biggest design award in the world, annually presenting winners in 5 categories with 100 000 € each.

The winning designs for 2007 demonstrate remarkable ingenuity in design that improves the standard of human life around the world.

INDEX winners not only design well, but also inexpensively, so that in some cases the designs are not only enjoyed by people in developing countries, but can be made there as well with local materials.

Two designs in particular stand out:

“Tongue Sucker,” a clear plastic tube with a reservoir squeeze bulb allows bystanders to clear an unconscious person’s tongue from a blocked airway; the People’s Choice Award went to “Antivirus,” a plastic yellow cap that converts an aluminum soda can into a hazardous waste disposal unit.

Both designs are potentially life-saving and elegant in their simplicity.

See the full list of winners and nominees here.